Historian Oleg Sokolov has filed a petition for commutation of punishment. What is known

Oleg Sokolov, a former associate professor at St. Petersburg State University (St. Petersburg State University), who was convicted of murdering Anastasia Yeshchenko, a graduate student, in 2019, has applied for a reduced sentence. He asks to replace the imprisonment with forced labor after serving half of the term. All the details are in the Izvestia article.

What is known about Sokolov's petition

Historian Oleg Sokolov has filed a motion for commutation of punishment, according to the files of the District court of St. Petersburg. He asks to replace the remaining term with forced labor after serving half of the sentence. Sokolov was reportedly sentenced to 12.5 years in prison in 2020. Currently, the convict is serving his sentence in a correctional colony.

What happened in 2019

According to the investigation, the crime occurred in November 2019. The historian shot the graduate student with a sawn-off shotgun, after which he dismembered the body and tried to hide his tracks. Later, body parts were found in the Moika River and in the apartment of the accused.

In addition, Sokolov was detained on November 9 after falling into a river. His backpack contained remains and a weapon, law enforcement agencies said. During the searches, fragments of the body of 24-year-old Anastasia Yeshchenko were also found.

What decisions were made by the court

The Oktyabrsky District Court of St. Petersburg recognized the existence of intent to murder. In December 2020, the court issued a verdict and imposed a custodial sentence. It was also decided to destroy physical evidence, including weapons and objects used in the crime.

In addition, the testimony of witnesses was considered during the proceedings. According to TASS, witness Ekaterina Przhigodzka stated that in 2008 Sokolov used violence and threatened her.

"He tied my hands from behind, and I started getting methodical punches. <...> He prepared an iron, plugged it into an outlet and threatened that he would disfigure me for the rest of my life," she said in court.

In addition, the witness claimed that the historian strangled her and threatened to kill her. At the same time, Sokolov himself stated that the circumstances were distorted, but acknowledged the fact of the strike.

At the same time, Sokolov admitted his guilt and expressed remorse. According to his lawyer Alexander Pochuev, the convict also attempted to sign a contract with the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation, but was refused due to his age.