Resident of St-Petersburg punished for beating Azerbaijani natives

In St-Petersburg, a man who committed a crime on the motive of national hatred against natives of Azerbaijan is sentenced to five years of prison. The verdict was passed by the Kalinin District Court of the city.

According to the press service of the City Prosecutor's Office, unemployed Denis Markelov, 23, was found guilty of wilful infliction of heavy harm to person's health dangerous for human life. The attack was accomplished from hooligan intents on motives of national hatred by a group of persons by previous concert. Markelov was also found guilty of illegal storing an especially huge stock of narcotic drugs without the aim to sell them.

The bodies of preliminary investigation have established that in October 2003 Denis Markelov attacked two citizens of Azerbaijan who were just passing by him. Markelov acted in a group of persons, but his accomplices have not been found yet. They threw one of the victims on the ground and started beating him.

The victim was hospitalized and diagnosed "a heavy brain bruise". The second passer-by got insignificant injuries. The "Fontanka.Ru" reports that the defendant has completely admitted the indictment and pled guilty. Now, he will spend 5 years and 1 month in a strict custody corrective colony.