Members of a nationalist organized crime group were sentenced in Belgorod

On September 12, 2006, members of the Belgorod National Corps (BNK) skin group were sentenced in Belgorod in the case of the beating of the Nikolaenko family (motivated by national hatred) in August 2005.

A total of 11 skinheads were convicted, including several minors.

The organizers of the crime (Maxim Sharov, A. Petrov, I. Sutula) were sentenced to 5 years, 4 and 3 (according to other sources - also 4) years in prison, respectively. Ordinary participants (A. Usenko, A. Sirogitan, D. Sirogitan, R. Strelnikov, A. Fursov, S. Ditsenko, M. Posadsky) received from 1.6 to 2.9 years in prison. One of the defendants (S. Tyulin) was sentenced to 3.5 years probation.

The Oktyabrsky District Court of Belgorod found all the defendants guilty under the articles "Organization of an extremist community", "Threat of murder or infliction of grievous bodily harm motivated by national hatred" and "Hooliganism" of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation under aggravating circumstances, which consisted in the commission of a crime "by an organized group against two and more faces."

Thus, the court agreed with the "extremist" component of the crime. This is only the fourth conviction under Art. 282-1 (Creation of an extremist community) in Russian judicial practice.

**Based on materials from right-wing websites.

Voronov Ivan, Grigorenko Oleg. Belgorod extremists were recognized as a community // Kommersant-Chernozemye. September 15, 2006.**

Sources

• Voronov I., Grigorenko O. Extremists are in the dock // IA Bel.Ru. 2006. September 18.