Irkutsk prosecutors on Wednesday asked a court to postpone for 14 years a two-year prison sentence for a driver who killed a pedestrian and crippled another, Interfax reported.
Anna Shavenkova, daughter of the then-head of the Irkutsk region elections committee, rammed into two female pedestrians on an Irkutsk sidewalk in 2009 after losing control of her car.
Surveillance video leaked online showed Shavenkova ignoring the victims and examining the damage to the car while talking on her cell phone after the crash.
An Irkutsk court sentenced Shavenkova to three years in prison in 2010 — but postponed the sentence until her newborn son reaches 14.
The ruling, which is in line with the law, sparked outrage amid bloggers, many of whom said the non-obligatory leniency rule was only applied because Shavenkova was an official's daughter.
A higher court ordered a retrial last year. A new verdict may be passed Friday, Interfax said.
A Message from The Moscow Times:
Dear readers,
We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent."
These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia.
We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help.
Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact.
By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us.
Remind me later.
