A school in western Siberia has been fined for shocking children with a hostage-taking simulation during class, the Kommersant business daily reported Friday.
A national scandal erupted last month when footage showed fifth-graders cowering under their desks as masked men stormed their classroom. The school later explained that it staged the act to mark Russia’s day of solidarity in the fight against terrorism, which was established in the wake of the Beslan school siege.
Prosecutors in the Tyumen region town of Ishim told Kommersant the school was found guilty of violating the children’s right to education.
The school principal was fined 10,000 rubles ($130) and the school itself 50,000 rubles ($650), it reported. The vice principal and the health and safety teacher during whose class the incident occurred, as well as Ishim’s deputy education chief, were merely reprimanded.
Kommersant reported earlier that prosecutors had also warned the head of Ishim in connection with the incident.
Regional education authorities have said that the school warned students that “strangers” would be attending the health and safety lesson that day. Most students were said to be unfazed by the incident, though at least one student sought medical assistance afterward.
Kommersant reported that cadets played the role of “terrorists” during the Sept. 4 class. Following the simulation, regional education authorities tightened controls to avoid similar incidents in the future.
This is at least the second known hostage-taking simulation dedicated to the September 2004 Beslan school siege that led to the deaths of over 300 adult and child hostages.
In 2018, National Guard troops and Cossacks staged a hostage-taking and releasing operation in front of applauding parents in the Yekaterinburg region.
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.
