The key facts

  • Verdict: 6 years and 6 months in a strict-regime colony plus 700,000 rubles in compensation
  • The victim received at least 20 blows and first- to third-degree burns to the head and torso
  • The case of the second attacker has been separated into separate proceedings — he has not been found

Verdict in the bonfire torture case

A court has sentenced a 39-year-old resident of Novosibirsk who, together with an acquaintance, brutally beat and tortured another man with fire. This was reported by the regional prosecutor's office; a retelling of the publication is provided by Gazeta.Ru.

What happened, according to the investigation

The incident took place in the Kirovsky district of Novosibirsk. According to the investigation, the defendant, referred to in the case files as Artyom (names have been changed), struck his acquaintance — Mikhail — on the head with an unknown object. The victim fell face down, after which both attackers continued beating him on the head and torso — he received at least twenty blows in total.

Torture with fire and consequences for the victim

The beaten man was then carried to a bonfire and placed face down over the flames; while holding him down, the attackers continued to beat him. “The victim experienced physical pain and sustained bodily injuries, including first-, second- and third-degree burns to the head and torso,” the publication quotes from the agency's statement. A criminal case was opened under the article on intentional infliction of grievous bodily harm.

The punishment and the status of the second suspect

The court sentenced Artyom to six years and six months in a strict-regime penal colony and ordered him to pay compensation of 700,000 rubles. His accomplice could not be found: his case has been separated into separate proceedings, meaning there is still no final decision regarding the second participant in the attack.