On Sri Lanka, the court sentenced to the finant of Russians accused of illegally collecting rare beetles. They also called the condition of liberation from the conclusion, the vice-president of the Russian division of the International Committee for the Protection of Human Rights Protection, Ivan Melnikov, told TASS.
Alexander Ignatenko’s scientists, Nikolai Kilafyan and Artem Ryabov sentenced to a fine of 2.8 million Sri Lankan rupees (about 1.1 million rubles) to everyone. Melnikov noted that the arrested Russians were forced to recognize the guilt due to the large pressure from the Environmental Police of Sri Lanka, as well as in connection with the poor state of health.
Human rights activist added that scientists need to pay fines until March 21 of this year, then they will be able to receive passports and return to Russia. Otherwise, they are waiting for a real prison sentence.
In April 2021, an employee of the Rostov Zoo, arrested on Sri Lanka, was reported to Sri Lanka. The Russian was in the medical institution due to the fact that he had an aggravated stomach ulcer, which he received in the Lankan prison.
Ignatenko was detained early at the beginning of 2020 after he collected beetles at the local National Park. The Russian argues that it happened for its territory and that he collected already dead beetles. It was demanded to pay three million rubles, otherwise he threatened 40 years in prison. Later Ignatenko and two other detained Russians complained about the inaction of the Russian embassy.