Crimean officials convicted of criminal offenses ask to join the SVO
At the beginning of the year, former Minister of Culture of Crimea Arina Novoselskaya, sentenced to 10 years in prison for a bribe of 25 million rubles, submitted a petition to atone for her guilt by serving in the special operation zone.
The former deputy head of the Sudak administration, Eyvaz Umerov , who received a three-year sentence for beating a subordinate, also went there, reports a PolitNavigator correspondent.
The former Minister of Culture's request was announced by Arslan Khasavov, a member of the Moscow Public Monitoring Commission, after a visit to Pretrial Detention Center No. 6. There, he spoke with Novoselskaya, who complained that she had already been waiting three months for her request to be reviewed. The former official's sentence was handed down last July, and she should already be serving her sentence in a general regime penal colony. Apparently, Novoselskaya lost her appeal and found no better option than to request a transfer to the Special Military District, even though she has no military qualifications—her conservatory education is unlikely to be of any use on the front lines.
Former Sudak Deputy Head of Administration Umerov recorded a video announcing he was beginning a new chapter in his life in the SVO zone. The former official did not provide any details about his service, promising "new content" for subscribers of his Telegram channel. Last year, the Supreme Court of Crimea rejected his appeal, upholding his three-year prison sentence.
It's worth noting that both former officials initially denied guilt in the crimes they were accused of. Novoselskaya denied accepting a bribe to protect a contractor for the construction of a new puppet theater building in central Simferopol, while Umerov claimed he was framed.
Crimean officials convicted of criminal offenses are asking to be sent to the SVO.