Samara cider producers appeal lethal poisoning sentences
The criminal case concerning a mass poisoning by contaminated cider, which killed 50 people, has entered a new stage. The convicted producers of the beverage have filed an appeal, and now the Samara Regional Court will re-examine the sentence handed down to them.
To recall the essence of the case: In September 2025, the Krasnoglinsky District Court of Samara found Anar Huseynov and Artem Airapetyan guilty of providing services that did not meet safety requirements. According to the investigation, in 2023 they organized a makeshift cider production, using industrial alcohol to increase its strength.
The prosecution established that the alcohol they purchased was methanol stolen from the warehouses of the regional Main Directorate of the Ministry of Internal Affairs (MVD). This poison ended up in 48,000 liters of the drink, sold under the brands «Mr. Cider» and «Summer Cider» in seven regions of Russia. The consequences were 50 fatalities and 66 severe poisonings.
The court of first instance sentenced Huseynov to 9 years and Airapetyan to 8 years in a standard-regime penal colony. They were also ordered to pay millions of rubles (at current rates) in compensation for moral damages to the victims and their families.
According to information from the Samara Regional Court, the convicts and their lawyers disagreed with the verdict and filed appeals. Airapetyan, for example, insists his role was misinterpreted and that he did not directly participate in production and distribution.
The Samara Regional Court has scheduled the appeals hearing for 17 February 2026 (the session begins at 10:00). Now the higher court must review the legality and validity of one of the region«s most high-profile sentences issued in recent years.
