The prosecutor asked for almost 20 years in prison for a Muscovite who threw a bottle of gasoline into the car of the National Guard

During preliminary hearings, the state prosecution requested a sentence of 19.5 years in prison for Vitaly Koltsov, who threw a bottle of gasoline at the Russian Guard’s paddy wagon on Revolution Square last year. It is reported by RIA Novosti with reference to the press service of the Moscow City Court. The verdict will be announced on June 14.

Vitaly Koltsov is a graduate of the Faculty of Philosophy of the Russian State Humanitarian University and the father of three children. According to information published by Mediazona (recognized by the Ministry of Justice of the Russian Federation as a foreign agent), on May 2, 2022, Koltsov threw two bottles of gasoline into the paddy wagons of the Russian Guard. One of them caught fire, but the fire was extinguished in a minute and a half. On the same day he was detained, and on May 4 he was arrested. Since then, he has been in jail.

The prosecutor’s office accused him of attempted murder of 12 employees of the National Guard (Article 317 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation) and deliberate damage to property (Part 2 of Article 167 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation). Koltsov himself stated that he wanted to commit a symbolic arson in protest and did not plan to harm anyone.

His case was considered by jurors. On June 7, they refused to find him guilty of the attempted murder of 12 members of the National Guard, but found him guilty of damaging property. The cost of damaged parts of the paddy wagon is estimated at 61.9 thousand rubles.