The court sentenced Russians accused of collecting beetles in Sri Lanka to a fine of over $14,000 and a two-year suspended sentence. This was reported on Friday, January 21, at the Russian Embassy in Colombo.
“The judge ruled on a fine of 2 million 888 thousand rupees of Sri Lanka (about $ 14.2 thousand for each) and another two-year suspended sentence with a trial period of up to 5 years,” the embassy noted in an interview with RIA News”.
The Russians must pay the fine by March 11. After that, they will be able to get passports and return to Russia. Moreover, if the citizens of the Russian Federation do not pay the fine, they will face imprisonment.
During the trial, the Russians admitted their guilt.
Alexander Ignatenko is an employee of the Rostov Zoo. He was detained in Sri Lanka at the end of February 2020, along with colleagues Artem Ryabov and Nikolai Kilafyan, on suspicion of causing harm to the environment by causing death to beetles and other small animal species.
According to them, they collected only dead insects, which were photographed and thrown away. At the same time, the citizens of the Russian Federation assured that they did it outside the reserve in accordance with local legislation.
However, in June 2020, it became known about the arrest of Ryabov and Kilafyan. Then their lawyer said that the Russians could be released under the guarantee of local residents, but they agreed to vouch only for money, which the arrested did not have. According to the human rights activist, they were not provided with an interpreter and were kept in a cell for 100 people along with those accused of serious crimes.
Source: IZ
Jane Stock is a technology author, who has written for 24 Hours World. She writes about the latest in technology news and trends, and is always on the lookout for new and innovative ways to improve his audience’s experience.
