A seventeen-year-old has been sentenced to nine years and ten months in a juvenile correctional facility for the murder of taxi driver Elena Sarafanova in the Chelyabinsk region. The Chelyabinsk Regional Court delivered the verdict on June 3rd.

The young man, a member of a nomadic people from Korkino, was found guilty of the crime that sparked unrest in the city. The case unfolded after Sarafanova was found dead on Vatutin Street on the morning of October 24th. Investigators believe she picked up two young men, and a conflict during the ride led to her being stabbed in the chest.

Following the murder, two suspects were detained, one of whom is a deaf-mute teenager. The incident triggered a spontaneous gathering of local residents, escalating into mass riots involving approximately 150 people. Over 40 individuals were detained, and two were injured during the unrest. An alleged shooter was also taken into custody.

The aftermath of the murder also led to the arrest of Sergei Federyagin, a former high-ranking official of the regional Main Directorate of the Ministry of Internal Affairs. He is suspected of accepting bribes to protect the sale of narcotic drugs to an ethnic group.