All news

Defendants in Moscow metro crash case sentenced to jail terms

The defense said they would appeal

MOSCOW, November 9. /TASS/. Four defendants in the case over last year’s worst accident in the history of Moscow metro have been sentenced from 5.5 to 6 years in standard regime penal colony, judge Anton Tolstoy of Moscow’s Dorgomilovsky court announced on Monday.

Among the sentenced are tack walker Valery Bashkatov, his deputy Yuri Gordov, a senior official of the metro repair service, Alexei Trofimov, and production director of Spetstekhrekonstruktsiya reconstruction subcontractor Anatoly Kruglov.

They were found guilty under Article 263 of Russian Criminal Code "on violation of metro safety and operation rules inflicting the death of two or more persons".

The sentence said that although the defendants had not pleaded guilty, their guilt was confirmed by eyewitness testimony, testimony of victims, as well as results of the expertise. The defense said they would appeal against the court judgement.

Under the sentence, the four should also pay jointly more than 15 million roubles ($232,275) under lawsuits of injured persons.

A train detailed between Slaviansky Boulevard and Park Pobedy stations in Moscow metro on July 15, 2014, killing 24 people and injuring more than 150.