Imam Anton Stepanenko sentenced

On March 30, the Pyatigorsk Regional Court announced the verdict in the case of the imam of the Pyatigorsk mosque, Anton Stepanenko. He was sentenced to one and a half years of probation with a probationary period of one year.

A. Stepanenko was found guilty under Part 1 of Article 282 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (“incitement of hatred or enmity, as well as humiliation of human dignity”), but was released from punishment due to the expiration of the statute of limitations for the crime. The accusation under par. "a", "c" part 2 of article 163 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation ("extortion") was reclassified to article 330 ("arbitrariness").

From the accusation of A. Stepanenko under paragraphs. "a", "g" part 2 of article 127 ("illegal deprivation of liberty") the prosecutor's office refused.

Andrey Grudin, who was involved in the same case, was sentenced by the court to 3.5 years of probation. He was found guilty under s. "a", "g" part 2 of article 127 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation, and the charge under paragraph "a", "c" part 2 of article 163 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation was also reclassified as a charge under article 330.

Sources

• The court of Pyatigorsk sentenced the imam of the mosque and his accomplice to suspended sentences, finding them guilty of a number of crimes // Interfax-religion. 2007. March 30.