Photo: GLOBAL LOOK PRESS.
A Sri Lankan court has issued a verdict in the case of two young Russians detained at the end of August on suspicion of hunting ants and lizards. The Russian embassy informed KP.RU that the young people must pay a fine of $370. The amount is enormous, but if they do not pay it, then we will talk about a prison sentence: the boys will face up to 20 years. years in prison.
Savely, 17, and his friend Nikolai Kolchevsky, 21, decided to spend their vacation in Sri Lanka. The Russians were detained in one of the national parks; The police suspected that they were capturing exotic lizards and insects (in the country this is considered a criminal offense).
The boys were sent to a preventive detention center, even though Savely is a minor, it was impossible to interrogate him without the presence of his parents. Thanks to the assistance of the Russian Embassy in Sri Lanka, it was possible to draw attention to procedural violations; The young people were released on the condition of remaining on the island while the trial took place. Their mothers flew towards the young people.
The next court hearing was held on October 15. Verdict: The Russians must pay a fine of 100 million Sri Lankan rupees, the equivalent of $370,000 in the United States. The indictment includes a fantastic… thousand charges.
The fine must be paid before the next meeting. If this does not happen, the defendants face a threat of imprisonment of up to 20 years.
The Russian embassy said: “The magnitude of the punishment left us baffled.” In fact, the fine seems prohibitive. Diplomats recommended that Savely and Nikolai’s parents file an appeal.
