First hearing in 14-year-old's suicide incitement case near Volgograd

The first court hearing in the high-profile case of inciting a 14-year-old schoolboy to suicide in the village of Sadovoye, located 100 kilometers (62 miles) from Volgograd, has taken place. According to the lawyer for the deceased boy«s family, the hearing was held in closed session. The court considered extending the pre-trial restrictions for the defendants.

The details of the hearing were shared by prominent lawyer Vitaly Grigoryev, who represents the family of the deceased schoolboy.

«The first hearing in the case of inciting Artyom to suicide has concluded. Three defendants have had their pre-trial restrictions extended for six months. All subsequent court hearings will be open,» the lawyer said. «There are five defendants in the case, each with at least one defense lawyer, plus legal representatives and public defenders. There are many people. The date of the next hearing has been set, and I will announce it a bit later. Most likely, the charges against the individuals involved in the case will be read out.»

This concerns the tragedy in the village of Sadovoye in the Republic of Kalmykia (southwestern Russia). In early March of last year, teenagers humiliated and brutally beat a 14-year-old schoolboy, recording it on video, which appeared on social media the next day. Some time later, the body of the deceased boy was found. A bit later, one of the witnesses to the humiliation was also found dead. For everything known about the shocking story, read our report.

Four teenagers and their «mentor», who gave them instructions on what to do and how to do it to Artyom, are involved in the case.