The Moscow City Court rendered a verdict in the case of A. Koptsev

On September 15, 2006, the Moscow City Court found Muscovite Alexander Koptsev, who attacked parishioners of the synagogue on Bolshaya Bronnaya Street, guilty under Article 282 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (incitement of national and religious hatred). He was sentenced to 16 years in prison in a maximum security colony.

Reading out the verdict, the judge indicated that Koptsev’s guilt in the attack on parishioners had been established. “Taking into account the nature and degree of public danger, as well as mitigating and aggravating circumstances, the court considers it necessary to sentence Koptsev to imprisonment with isolation from society,” the judge said.

The Moscow City Court also ordered compulsory treatment for Alexander Koptsev at the place where he was serving his sentence. “The court considers it necessary to impose a compulsory medical measure, since Koptsev suffers from a mental disorder that does not exclude sanity,” the judge added.

Speaking in the debate between the parties, the prosecutor asked that the defendant be sentenced to 16 years in prison. “I ask the court to impose a sentence of four years in prison under paragraph 2 of Article 282 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (inciting interethnic, interreligious and interracial hatred), and under Part 3 of Article 30, Article 105 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (attempted murder murder) punishment of 14 years in prison,” the prosecutor said.

Lawyers representing the interests of victims supported the prosecutor's position. They stated that they considered the defendant sane. “He was driven by the desire to humiliate their faith, and to provoke enmity and hatred of Jews in society,” noted the representative of the injured party, lawyer Vadim Klyuvgant, during the debate.

For their part, Koptsev’s lawyers insist on his insanity.

“The mental disorder caused by depression affected his perception and control of his emotions,” said Koptsev’s lawyer Roza Saribzhanova. The lawyer asked the court to acquit her client under Article 282 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (“inciting ethnic, racial and religious hatred”), and the charge under Art. 30, art. 105 (“attempted murder”) to be reclassified as causing light, medium and serious bodily harm (Articles 111, 112 and 115 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation).

Let us recall that earlier the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation overturned the sentence of Koptsev, who was sentenced by the Moscow City Court to 13 years in prison and sent the case for a new trial. Thus, the Supreme Court satisfied the cassation submission of the Prosecutor General's Office of the Russian Federation and the complaints of the injured party.

Sources

• Koptsev was found guilty of inciting ethnic hatred. The sentence has been increased to 16 years // Newsru.com. 2006. September 15.
• Koptsev was found guilty of inciting hatred and sentenced to 16 years // Grani.ru. 2006. September 15.
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