Deadly conscript convicted in Russia, debate over military hazing revived
Russian soldiers called in line up in front of a conscription wicket with the banner “Serving the Fatherland is a sacred duty” in Moscow, November 26, 2010. AP - Mikhail Metzel
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The 19-year-old at the time of the incident, the young man had killed eight other soldiers on a military base in 2019. He had claimed to have acted because of the incessant humiliations inflicted by his superiors.
This tragic news item had awakened in Russia the debate on hazing within the army.
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With our correspondent in Moscow,
Daniel Vallot
It was in October 2019, on a lost base in Siberia, that the drama unfolded.
Ramil Chamsoutdinov, then aged 19, opened fire on the soldiers around him, as he took his turn on guard.
He kills eight people, including two officers.
In the weeks that followed, the young conscript claimed to have acted because of the "
hell
" he had been living for months in this barracks.
A daily life of humiliation, threats of rape and sleep deprivation.
According to his lawyer, Ramil Chamsoutdinov had not slept for three days when he took action.
Military service repeller
In Russia, this terrible news item reminded us that hazing within the Russian army, with its sometimes dramatic consequences, is far from having disappeared.
Despite the speeches of the authorities and the measures taken over the past decade to stem the phenomenon, many conscripts complain about the bullying suffered during their military service.
A service that young Russians continue to want to avoid, precisely for fear of such ill-treatment.
Ramil Shamsoutdinov's lawyers have said they will appeal the judgment.
The families of the victims also: they are demanding a life sentence for the young man.
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To listen: Russia: the fear of hazing within the Russian army
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