Victims of HIV and hepatitis in Kabardino-Balkaria consider the sentence unfair.

People infected with hepatitis in a private sanatorium announced the filing of lawsuits for compensation for moral and material damages.

As "Caucasian Knot" wrote, the medical staff and management of a private sanatorium in Nalchik were accused of infecting five people with HIV and 71 patients with hepatitis C. The case was brought to court in March, the victims told "Caucasian Knot" that the nurse did not open disposable syringes in front of patients. On December 15, the court sentenced the nurse to four years in prison, while her managers - the general director and the doctor of the sanatorium - escaped punishment. Later, the court partially satisfied the claims of three people infected with HIV, who should receive compensation in the amount of 9 million rubles.

The Nalchik City Court told a "Caucasian Knot" correspondent that the court ordered three defendants to pay 9 million rubles in compensation to those infected with HIV. The remaining victims must file civil lawsuits.

Commenting on the verdict, one of the victims, Marat K., said it was unfair. "What does it matter to us if the nurse serves four years? We're weakened for life," he said. He said he spent over 250,000 rubles on medication.

"I was at the last court hearing. Before retiring to the deliberation room, the judge asked the HIV-positive patients what punishment they wanted for the nurse, and they responded that she should receive the punishment prescribed by law. But they didn't even ask us; no one was interested in our opinions," he noted.

"We asked the prosecutor from whom we should seek moral and material damages, and she explained to us that it should be from the guilty parties. But there's no guarantee they won't reach an agreement in that court either," said Marat K.

One of the victims believes the investigation was dragged out to divert him from the sanatorium's management. "Even collecting 3 million from the nurse is a hollow decision. Where did she get that kind of money? "Furthermore, she will serve four years in prison," the interviewee said.

According to her, during her treatment, she had to buy all her medications herself. "We weren't given anything, only free consultations. Only when we were treated at the infectious diseases hospital did we receive free medications. But even there, we had to buy some medications ourselves," she said.  The interviewee intends to seek moral and material damages from the sanatorium's management.

Another victim, Marina, was at the sanatorium with her husband; both were later diagnosed with hepatitis C. She said they were not prescribed any treatment for over six months, except for maintenance therapy. "They didn't give us prescriptions; they told us to 'wait for the Ministry of Health to allocate the medications,'" Marina said. "When the court dismissed the case against (the sanatorium management) due to the statute of limitations, we raised our hands and wanted to ask questions, but the judge didn't give us the floor," the victim shared. The couple also intends to file a civil suit against the sanatorium management for moral and material damages.