Security guard wins compensation for unlawful prosecution in Yakutsk

Security guard Alexander Bobylev from the private agency «Alex+», accused in the death of police colonel Gavril Kaprin in Yakutsk, has won compensation for unlawful criminal prosecution. The man demanded 10.1 million rubles (about $101,000 at current rates) from the court, but the judge granted the claim only partially. The city court considered that half a million rubles (around $5,000) was a sufficient amount for two years of criminal prosecution and, as the victim put it, «constant fear, helplessness, and doom.»

70-year-old security guard Alexander Bobylev and his 58-year-old partner Nikolai Savvin were accused in 2022 of abuse of authority and intentional infliction of grievous bodily harm resulting in the victim«s death through negligence. They faced up to 15 years in prison.

In November 2024, the jury of the Yakutsk City Court acquitted Alexander Bobylev due to the absence of criminal elements in his actions. The prosecution filed an appeal, but the Supreme Court of Yakutia on February 13, 2025, sided with the jury.

Alexander Bobylev filed a lawsuit with the city court, demanding to recover from the Russian Ministry of Finance lost earnings of 1.1 million rubles (approximately $11,000 at current rates) and compensation for moral damages of 9 million rubles (about $90,000 at current rates) for unlawful criminal prosecution. Bobylev believed that he was unlawfully prosecuted for two years under criminal charges after the death of police lieutenant colonel, deputy head of the criminal investigation department of the Yakutsk police, 39-year-old Gavril Kaprin.

The incident occurred on the afternoon of November 12, 2022, when Gavril Kaprin arrived intoxicated at the steam cocktail center «MosKalyan» at Ammosova Street, 6/2, in the Old Town district. It was Kaprin«s birthday, and he was alone. At some point, he began to quarrel with other patrons, and although the incident was initially calmed down, the establishment»s staff pressed the panic button at least 10 times.

Employees of the private security company «Alex+», Alexander Bobylev and Nikolai Savvin, responded to the call. A video was circulated on social media showing the moment when a scuffle broke out between the security guards and the lieutenant colonel.

According to the publication «Yakutia Info,» Kaprin told the security guards that he wanted to confront one of the bar«s patrons, and they had to call the police because the elderly guards realized they could not restrain a strong man younger than themselves. When Kaprin attacked them with fists, they were forced to use pepper spray. Then the guards still tried to escort the man out of the bar, but he began to resist fiercely.

In the end, the security guards handcuffed him. At 16:15, police arrived, and within a couple of minutes, the men were asked to return—upon entering the hookah lounge, they saw that Kaprin was dead. The guards« phones were confiscated, and they were seated separately from each other. Closer to night, they were led out of the bar through the main entrance. A crowd stood on the street and shouted »Murderers!« at them, wrote the publication »Yakutia Info.« On November 14, they were detained and placed in a pre-trial detention center (SIZO).

As follows from the court materials, during detention, Bobylev was shackled in handcuffs, upon arrival at the temporary detention facility (IVS), he was stripped naked, down to his underwear, and placed in a cell in that state. Any movements outside the pre-trial detention center were in handcuffs accompanied by an armed escort.

«The environment of the pre-trial detention center, the lack of adequate medical assistance and living conditions had a oppressive effect on his personality. Due to his age and existing health issues, which are confirmed by medical documents, trips in the prison van caused him significant physical suffering, he experienced a state of depression, constant fear, helplessness, and doom,» according to the court materials.

The death of the police colonel was discussed in the media and on social networks, including at the federal level. Alexander Bobylev«s name appeared regularly in news reports since 2022, which, in the man»s view, tarnished his honor, dignity, and business reputation.

In the summer of 2023, Savvin and Bobylev were acquitted by a jury in the Yakutsk City Court, but in October, the Supreme Court of the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia) overturned the acquittal and sent the case for retrial. In November 2024, security guard Savvin was sentenced to 2 years of imprisonment suspended, with a ban on engaging in security activities for two years, and a probation period of 1 year. Alexander Bobylev was acquitted unanimously by the jury.

The 73-year-old security guard ultimately filed a lawsuit to obtain compensation for moral and material damages from the criminal prosecution. Alexander Bobylev explained his demands by citing two years of prosecution, three months of which he spent in the pre-trial detention center. In his opinion, because of this, he was deprived of the opportunity to work and receive wages for 561 days.

On January 16, 2026, the judge granted Bobylev«s claim, but partially. The decision stated that the plaintiff was indeed subjected to unlawful criminal prosecution for 2 years and 12 days. Initially, he was held in the pre-trial detention center, then under house arrest, with a travel restriction, limited in rights and freedom of movement, and not allowed to communicate with close ones and relatives.

A correspondent for 14.RU was informed by the press service of the Yakutsk City Court on January 27 that, considering the extent and degree of the plaintiff«s physical and moral suffering, the judge deemed it necessary to set the amount of compensation for moral damages at 550,000 rubles (approximately $5,500 at current rates), »with the requirement of reasonableness and fairness.«

«Alexander Bobylev has one month to file an appeal with the Supreme Court and challenge this decision. But as of today, he has not yet submitted an application,» added the press service.