Tajik man who extinguished candles in Moscow church declared insane

A 20-year-old migrant from Tajikistan, Askar Butaev, who extinguished candles in an Orthodox church in Moscow, will not be punished – he will be sent for compulsory treatment, reports a Telegram channel of the capital’s Investigative Committee.

An examination established that he is mentally incompetent.

“The examination showed that at the time of the crime, the migrant was suffering from a mental disorder and was not aware of his actions. The criminal case for offending the feelings of believers will be transferred to the court, which will decide on the application of compulsory medical measures,” the statement said.

Recall that on June 18, the young man entered the church of Saint Righteous Warrior Fyodor Ushakov in Southern Butovo and blew out all the candles there, after which he pushed one of the parishioners who had remarked on Butaev’s behavior and left.

Previously, the Zyuzinsky District Court of Moscow placed him in custody for 2 months. A criminal case was initiated against him under Article 148, Part 4, Clause “b” of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (violation of the right to freedom of conscience and religion with the use of violence or the threat of its use). It was reported that Askar Butaev had arrived in the Russian Federation quite recently and was living in a hostel located near the church.