Two rock musicians in Russia’s Urals sentenced to 19 years each for alleged military registration office arson

A court in Russia’s Yekaterinburg has sentenced Alexey Nuriyev and Roman Nasriyev of the Room 32 rock band to 19 years behind bars each for alleged arson of a military registration office in Bakal, Solidarity Zone reports.

The two will spend the first four years of their sentences in a regular prison, and 15 years more in a maximum security labour camp. 

So far it is the strictest sentence for military office arson in Russia, TASS reports.

19 years is exactly the same sentence the prosecutor requested for the two on 7 April. The men are accused of a “terrorist attack carried out by a group of people by prior conspiracy with the use of hazardous substances” and “undergoing training for the purpose of committing terrorist activities”. 

According to the investigation, in the early hours of 11 October 2022 the men broke a window on the ground floor of the administration building and threw two Molotov cocktails inside. They were detained on the same day.

Initially, Nuriyev and Nasriyev were charged with deliberate destruction and damage of property. Nasriyev did not deny his involvement in the arson and explained his actions were a protest against the war and mobilisation.

According to media outlet EANews, senior sergeant Nasriyev used to work at a police station in the town and Nuriyev was a commander at a fire and rescue service. Project Solidarity Zone previously reported that Nasriyev used to work as a driver for Russia’s National Guard while having left-wing views.