Yakutsk 2023 killing of a young woman: family disputed how the case was classified

A 26-year-old woman died in a flat in Yakutsk’s Saisarsky district on 22 October 2023, regional outlets reported in November 2023. The case resurfaced in SakhaDay’s account of it, published on 20 November 2023.

What investigators said

The Investigative Committee for Yakutia told AiF Yakutia, YSIA and KP-Yakutia that two suspects had been arrested. Criminal cases were opened under Part 4 of Article 111 of the Russian Criminal Code (intentional grievous bodily harm causing death by negligence) and Article 132 (violent acts of a sexual nature). According to YSIA, the preliminary motive was jealousy. Investigators said forensic examinations were under way and the charges could be reclassified to a more serious article if there were grounds.

The family’s position

The victim’s sister appealed to the Yakutia public organisation “Us Tumsuu” and argued the crime should be classified as murder committed by a group with particular cruelty (Article 105, Part 2). In SakhaDay’s report, a relative said the woman had been abused by her partner for some time and that, according to what an investigator told the family, the violence lasted about five hours. These are the relatives’ accounts and have not been confirmed by a court.

Status

In public sources we could not find a report on the trial or a verdict in this case. The suspects have not been convicted in any report we found and are presumed innocent until a court rules otherwise.