Sergey Arakcheev Former Russian army officer Date of Birth: 06.07.1981 Country: Russia

1. Biography of Sergey Arakcheev
2. Early Career
3. The Crime
4. Legal Process
5. Continued Legal Proceedings
6. Personal Life

Biography of Sergey Arakcheev

Sergey Vladimirovich Arakcheev was born on July 6, 1981, in the Vladimir region of Russia. He served as an officer in the Russian army and was sentenced to 15 years in prison in 2007 for the murder of peaceful Chechen civilians.

Early Career

In March 2002, Arakcheev graduated from the North Caucasus Military Command Institute. He was promoted to the rank of lieutenant and was assigned to the engineering and sapper platoon in the 3186th battalion of the Dzerzhinsky Operational Division. His unit was responsible for demining roads. Arakcheev personally disarmed and destroyed over 25 explosive devices and was awarded the Suvorov Medal, as well as the medals for military and combat valor.

The Crime

On January 15, 2003, three Chechen civilians working as construction workers on military facilities were killed near the "Severny" airport in Grozny. Arakcheev and his comrade, Senior Lieutenant Evgeny Khudyakov, were detained on suspicion of committing the crime. According to the investigation, their reconnaissance group stopped a "Kamaz" truck, forced the construction workers to lie on the ground, and then shot and killed them. To cover up the evidence, the truck was pushed off the road, doused with gasoline, and set on fire. They later stopped a "GAZ-3110" with passengers and detained the driver, robbing him and shooting him in the leg before leaving him on the road.

Legal Process

Arakcheev and Khudyakov were initially acquitted by a jury trial in June 2004 but were retried and found guilty in December 2007. Arakcheev was sentenced to 15 years in prison, and Khudyakov, who was not present at the trial, received a sentence of 17 years and was declared wanted in January 2008. Both officers were stripped of their military ranks.

Continued Legal Proceedings

Arakcheev's lawyers filed an appeal to the Russian Supreme Court, requesting a review of the verdict. The appeal was rejected in August 2008, upholding the original sentence. Arakcheev, who was held in a detention center in Rostov, repeatedly demanded the cancellation of the verdict and the restoration of his military rank and awards. He rejected the option of seeking clemency, insisting on his innocence.

Personal Life

Arakcheev's fiancée, Lyudmila, was mentioned in the press. They met in 2004, a week after the first jury's acquittal verdict.