A Moscow court has sentenced a man to one and a half years in a general regime penal colony after he sprayed pepper spray into a passenger's face at a subway station.
Russian news agency RIA Novosti reported that the sentence was handed down following an appeal that reduced the original two-year prison term.
The appellate court lowered the punishment after taking into account the wishes of the victim, who asked judges not to deprive the defendant of his freedom.
On the morning of April 2, 2025, the incident occurred at Pervomayskaya metro station in Moscow. The defendant, who had no money while returning home from work, walked through a ticket turnstile directly behind a female passenger.
The woman's husband made a verbal remark to the man about skipping the fare. A confrontation then broke out between the two men on the station platform.
During the argument, the convicted man sprayed pepper spray directly into the face of his opponent. The victim suffered an eye burn from the chemical spray and sought medical assistance.
Court arguments and appeal ruling
During his trial, the defendant partially admitted his guilt, apologized for his actions, and claimed he was defending himself. He alleged that the passenger had threatened to push him onto the subway tracks.
The court rejected those defense arguments after finding that the victim did not start the conflict and had not committed any illegal acts.
Judges found the perpetrator guilty of hooliganism under Article 213 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. A court of first instance originally imposed a sentence of two years in a general regime penal colony.
The appeal court later reduced the prison term to 1.5 years after considering the plea of the victim, who urged the court not to send the assailant to prison.
Subway transit background
Pervomayskaya station is part of the Moscow Metro system, a major underground rapid transit network serving the capital. Violations of public order inside stations are prosecuted under Russian criminal law.
In a separate transit case in Moscow, authorities recently arrested a group of foreign nationals following an attack on a bus ticket inspector.
