Russia's returnee

Murdering ex-convict is now a cab driver

Police officers on patrol in St. Petersburg

(Bild: Станислав Вершинин - stock.adobe.com)

Fear is on the rise in Russia: ex-soldiers recruited from prison are regularly reoffending. This is no great wonder. After all, the killers are released back into society without therapy after their deployment on the front line.

"Overall, of course, we know who will be released: there are already famous murderers walking around the city. They are in contact with us and promise not to do any more harm," explains the chief investigator in St. Petersburg, Yuri Yashkov, in an interview with the news portal "Fontanka". "Definitely dangerous prisoners" who were pardoned for their services at the front were monitored by the executive.

After numerous terrible tragedies that have shaken the country, the State Duma wants to protect the population with appropriate measures - but they have not been crowned with any particular success so far.

(Bild: Dmitry Vereshchagin - stock.adobe.com)

Careless integration into society 
"I try to keep an eye on certain ominous comrades who I know are definitely a threat." He is particularly worried about a returned fighter who is now driving passengers around in cabs: "To be honest, I'm very worried about the customers." He has therefore warned all members of the criminal investigation department about him. Yashkov does not believe that the pardoned criminal is a different person today. "This kind of person tends to be violent," he explains worriedly.

Situation remains unclear
The chief investigator cannot put an exact figure on how many former prisoners are now marching through St. Petersburg as free men. "There are certainly enough," he says soberly. He personally knows two ex-soldiers who "can't control themselves". Yashkov remembers the sensational murder in a restaurant in mid-March as the worst act of terror committed by a pardoned prisoner in the metropolis. A 40-year-old man shot his counterpart without batting an eyelid and then continued eating with relish. What is particularly astonishing is that he allegedly did not even try to flee the scene of the crime ...