In Russia for the first time, a trial was held on compensation for the death of a mercenary in Syria

In the Chelyabinsk region, for the first time, the case of the posthumous five-million compensation paid to the families of their dead soldiers by the so-called private military company (PMC) Wagner, the existence of which is denied by the authorities, reached the court for the first time. The trial in the regional center Chesma in the Chelyabinsk region was observed by a correspondent Russian service bbc.

Фото: Depositphotos

The parents of Andrei Litvinov, who died in Syria, tried to sue some of the compensation in 5 million rubles from his widow, which, they said, she received from a private military company. The widow claims that her husband died picking strawberries in Syria.

The story of Andrei Litvinov, told by his mother, is similar to dozens of other volunteer stories that went to war in Syria.

In May, 2017, Litvinov, without saying anything to his parents, left for the training base of PMCs Wagner, which is located in the village of Molkino, Krasnodar Territory. At the end of the month, Andrei Litvinov sent a parcel to his wife Svetlana. It contained a wedding ring, employment record, driver's license and other documents that were not useful to him at the time of concluding the contract.

Then, according to his parents and brother Alexander, he traveled with other fighters to Syria. In the summer of 2017, Svetlana Litvinova went to Ekaterinburg three times to get her husband's salary:

“From a representative of the organization where my husband worked. She doesn’t know what it’s called,” her lawyer Oksana Ovchinnikova told the court.

September 28 Litvinov, as well as at least five more Russian citizens died in battle near the city of Tais in the province of Homs. Bi-bi-si has a certificate of death Litvinova. According to parents, in the certificate of Andrei’s death, “charring of the body” was indicated.

“200 cargo” was brought in October, Litvinov’s wife and his brother flew to Rostov-on-Don to collect the body of the deceased. In the same place, they were awarded informal Wagner PMC medals and paid compensation of five million rubles (they also gave out a salary of 160 thousand and 100 thousand for the funeral).

Until 40 days had passed since her son died, no one in the family raised the question of money, and in November, after the commemoration, the parents of the deceased fighter came to the daughter-in-law and asked to give them one million of the five that she received in Rostov-on-Don .

“I should buy my husband a car, put up a fence, put in teeth for us, and put the rest into the account of my daughter from her first marriage until she comes of age,” Nadezhda Litvinova explains why they needed this money. But the widow, according to Andrei’s parents, answered them: “You are already old, you don’t have much time left to live, why do you need money.”

Relatives tried to agree among themselves several times: personally, through Svetlana's parents, with the help of Chelyabinsk lawyers, but everything was to no avail.

“We have always had a good relationship, but these five million seemed to hit her on the head! We immediately became strangers,” complains Nadezhda Litvinova. “I called this Molkino several times. Complained that we did not receive compensation. They called back and clarified how this could happen. I tell them that my daughter-in-law took everything for herself, and she says to her parents “fak yu.”

In April, Nadezhda and Viktor Litvinovy ​​filed a lawsuit with the Chesmensky District Court demanding the inclusion of 5 million from the PMCs of Wagner in the total inherited mass, which is to be divided between the heirs of the deceased. 22 June, the merits of the case took place.

This is the first time that the court has to deal with “black compensations” - the Russian authorities do not recognize the existence of the Wagner PMC.

At a meeting in the Chesma District Court 22 June, the parents of the deceased said that their son worked for a private military company and fought in Syria. The judge demanded to confirm this with documents and advised him to watch TV less, since he himself did not find the Wagner PMC in the register of legal entities. Representatives of the widow argued that Andrei Litvinov worked in Syria on a plantation, “in the collection of fruits and vegetables,” and the resulting five million rubles is a gift that it is not necessary to share with other heirs.

- So what kind of money is this? - Judge Shulgin clarified.

— We received a document from the military registration and enlistment office that he is not a military man. But we know that this private military company is now working together with the Ministry of Defense,” answered Andrei Litvinov’s mother.

- Where did you get that from? What kind of private military company is this? You'd better listen and watch less media! What kind of organization is this? Is this some kind of group?

“This is an organization that helps our armed forces in Syria. Our son is not the only one who died there.

“I don’t understand at all why your son went there?” Earn Money? The defendant’s representative said at the preliminary hearing that he went there to grow strawberries.

- Well, can you imagine that in a country where there has been a war for several years, someone is going to grow strawberries?

- Were you there yourself?

- I see it on TV!

- Why watch something on TV? It’s generally harmful to watch it, just as it’s harmful to listen to the news. The question is specific: what kind of money is this and why do you think you can claim it?

“We cannot prove that he was a military man.” But we can assume that this is the money that he should have received for his military service. This is compensation for death.

- Here you are, plaintiff, all some kind of speculation. You have assumptions, but we are interested in evidence and facts.

“The proof is the death of our son itself.”

The judge was tired of arguing with the mother of the deceased fighter: “The subject of our dispute is these funds that give no rest to anyone,” sighed Konstantin Shulgin. — 5 million rubles fell from the sky, and no one knows what to do with them. For a rural settlement, this is, of course, exorbitant money, and everyone wants to see it.”

The lawyer of the widow Ovchinnikov called five million "financial assistance to his wife." The judge asked if there was a private military company.

“The husband explained that he works on a plantation, collecting fruits and vegetables,” the lawyer assured him.

- Well, do you, as a human being, really believe that he went there to pick fruit? — the mother of the deceased intervened again.

“I think so,” the lawyer answered. — People travel to other countries, and they go to Africa; you can go to any country to earn money. An individual or legal entity gave her this money. This is not necessarily for any death. They just felt sorry for the woman! How can you not understand this?

After an hour or so after the beginning of the meeting, the judge left to decide. After a few more minutes, he succinctly announced that he was rejecting the suit.

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