Former Governor Belykh Awarded 2000 Euros from the State 0 6

The Sverdlovsk District Court of Perm partially satisfied the claim of former Kirov Region Governor Nikita Belykh against the Ministry of Finance of the Russian Federation on Friday. Belykh sought compensation of 10 million rubles for illegal criminal prosecution in one of his cases — for exceeding official powers. The court ultimately awarded him an amount 50 times less, only 200,000 rubles (about 2,000 euros).

"Partially satisfy the claims. To recover from the Russian Federation, represented by the Ministry of Finance of the Russian Federation, from the funds of the Russian treasury in favor of Belykh Nikita Yuryevich compensation for moral damage in the amount of 200,000 rubles. To deny the satisfaction of the remaining part of the claims," said Judge Ilya Yegoshin.

A representative of the Ministry of Finance of the Russian Federation stated in court that he opposed satisfying Belykh's claims, while a representative of the Kirov Region Prosecutor's Office did not deny the existence of grounds for compensation but informed the court that he considered the former governor's demands "exaggerated."

Belykh headed the Kirov Region from 2009 to 2016. In 2018, he was sentenced to 8 years in a strict regime penal colony for receiving a bribe of 400,000 euros from businessman Yuri Sudgaymer. After that, in June 2020, another case was opened against him under Part 3 of Article 286 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (exceeding official powers). The reason was that Belykh, while being governor, allegedly allocated 448 million rubles from the regional budget for the purchase and construction of specialized housing. As a result, it did not receive the status of official housing and became a subject of collateral for financial obligations.

In 2023, the Oktyabrsky District Court of Kirov sentenced Belykh to two and a half years of imprisonment in this case but released him from punishment due to the expiration of the statute of limitations.

After that, in 2024, following an appeal of the verdict, the court found Belykh not guilty in this case and recognized his right to rehabilitation. Belykh was released in June 2024.

In court, the former governor explained his compensation claim by stating that during the illegal criminal prosecution, he was transported several times in a "Stolypin" carriage from Ryazan to Kirov, which involved transfers in Yaroslavl and Noginsk, which he claimed were 10 trips. In addition, dozens of investigative actions were conducted against him, and part of the time he was held in a pre-trial detention center, where he was not allowed long visits or the opportunity to work.

Russian courts typically award minimal amounts as compensation for illegally initiated criminal cases, even in cases where the accused were subjected to torture.

The same 200,000 rubles were awarded by the court to a pensioner from the Yakut village of Dyullyukyu for the torture he experienced in the police station: he was beaten with hands and feet, including to the stomach and groin, and was handcuffed to the stair railing overnight — without the opportunity to sleep or go to the toilet.

500,000 rubles were awarded by the court to a mother of many children from Usolye-Sibirskoye, who suffered from torture in the police station: she was handcuffed to a bench, beaten with a stun gun, had a bag placed over her head, and was struck on the head and body.

Journalist-investigator Ivan Golunov received 1.5 million rubles in compensation from the Ministry of Internal Affairs for the illegal case involving planted drugs.