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Homophobic murder verdict handed down
Berezhnoy gets 9 years in a high-security penal colony.
On June 9, 2021, the Basmanny District Court sentenced Anton Berezhnoy to 9 years in a high-security penal colony under Part 4 of Article 111 (intentional infliction of a grave injury which has resulted in the death of the victim by negligence) and Article 116 of the Criminal Code (battery).
On June 29, 2019, Berezhnoy attacked two young men with a knife, shouting homophobic slurs. One of the victims, Roman Yedalov, died on the spot. The other, Yevgeny Yefimov, received a small, non-life-threatening wound.
On February 6, 2020, Berezhnoy was found guilty of attacking Yefimov, but not guilty of the murder of Yedalov. At the trial, Berezhnoy said that Yedalov “fell on the knife.” On February 7, the court sentenced Berezhnoy to 1 year and 11 months of prison. He was released in the courtroom.
On September 7, 2020, the Moscow City Court overturned the verdict on appeal and sent the case for a new trial.
On June 1, Berezhnoy escaped from the courtroom during a break in his trial, was detained three days later and then convicted.
The motive of hatred for LGBT people was not taken into account as an aggravating factor when determining the sentence.