Russian woman sentenced to 27 years for killing anti-Ukraine blogger
A Russian court sentences Darya Trepova to 27 years in prison for the murder of military blogger Vladlen Tatarsky
A Russian court sentenced Darya Trepova to 27 years in prison Thursday for the killing of hardline military blogger Vladlen Tatarsky.
Tatarsky met his tragic end when a miniature statue, handed to him as a gift by Trepova, exploded during a speech at a Saint Petersburg cafe last April.
Trepova, 26, was found guilty of terrorism and other charges related to the attack, as announced by the Saint Petersburg court.
The court’s statement, posted on social media, outlined the severity of the charges and the lengthy sentence imposed on Trepova.
The incident claimed the life of Tatarsky, a well-known military blogger who played a significant role in the online discourse surrounding Russia’s offensive.
Trepova claimed innocence, asserting that she believed she was handing Tatarsky a secret listening device, not a bomb. She stated she was set up by contacts in Ukraine and was unaware of the deadly consequences of her actions.
Prosecutors argued Trepova knew the device was rigged with explosives when she presented it to Tatarsky, whose real name is Maxim Fomin.
The court, in its verdict, painted a picture of premeditation and implicated Trepova in the intentional killing.
During the court proceedings, Trepova, wearing a white turtleneck jumper with a pattern of large knitted oranges, continued to deny knowing about the lethal nature of the package. Tatarsky, originally from eastern Ukraine, had a controversial background, being a convicted bank robber turned Russian-backed separatist fighter against Ukraine’s armed forces since 2014.
The blast not only claimed Tatarsky’s life but also injured over 30 other individuals, causing significant damage to the Saint Petersburg cafe. In response to his death, President Vladimir Putin posthumously awarded Tatarsky the Order of Courage, citing his “courage and bravery shown during professional duty.”
Trepova, in her defense, claimed that her handlers in Ukraine misled her about the contents of the package, stating that she was effectively “sent to death” with a bomb.
Despite Kyiv denying involvement and attributing the killing to domestic “infighting” at the time, tensions between Russia and Ukraine have been on the rise. The 27-year sentence handed to Trepova is one of the longest in a series of legal actions against Russians critical of the conflict in Ukraine.
Source: AFP
