Russian woman receives 27-Year sentence for killing pro-war blogger in St. Petersburg
During the trial, Darya Trepova admitted she acted on the orders of a Ukrainian contact, referred to as Gestalt
Darya Trepova, a 26-year-old Russian woman, has been sentenced to 27 years in prison for the killing of pro-war blogger Vladlen Tatarsky in April of last year.
Tatarsky was fatally injured by a bomb concealed within a statuette given to him by Trepova just before he was to speak in St. Petersburg, resulting in numerous injuries to others present.
Trepova, who denied the charges, claimed that she believed the statuette contained a listening device and asserted that she had acted on the orders of a Ukrainian contact, referred to as Gestalt. She stated that she thought she was set up and was not aware that the statuette contained a bomb.
https://x.com/i/web/status/1750495797001499047
This post can't be displayed because social networks cookies have been deactivated. You can activate them by clicking .
The court found Trepova guilty of "a terrorist act carried out by an organized group causing intentional death" and "illegal possession of explosive devices by an organized group." The sentencing, one of the harshest imposed on a woman in Russia's history, reflects the severity of the charges.
Trepova testified that she made contact with Gestalt through Ukraine-based journalist Roman Popkov and was instructed to gain Tatarsky's trust. She presented herself to Tatarsky as an art student named Anastasia Kriulina and attended his talks. She received the statuette in March from Gestalt, who assured her it contained a wiretap and a tracker, though she expressed concerns about it being a bomb.
https://x.com/i/web/status/1642564742408437762
This post can't be displayed because social networks cookies have been deactivated. You can activate them by clicking .
Expressing remorse during the trial, Trepova stated, "I feel great pain and shame that my gullibility and my naivety led to such catastrophic consequences. I didn't want to hurt anyone."
Vladlen Tatarsky, a prominent blogger with over half a million followers, had a criminal past and was known for criticizing Russian authorities, including President Vladimir Putin. Despite his criticism, he was posthumously awarded the Order of Courage by Putin.
Trepova's sentencing follows the imprisonment of Igor Girkin, a former commander of Russian-backed rebels in eastern Ukraine, who was recently sentenced to four years for "calls to carry out extremist activities."