A passenger on the Moscow metro was seriously injured after being stabbed in the chest during an ethnically charged brawl that broke out on a moving train, Interfax reported.
The injured passenger, an unemployed Moscow resident, was hospitalized in grave condition following the bloody altercation involving nine people — four of them immigrants from Kyrgyzstan — on the Arbatsko-Pokrovskaya line.
The fight began late Monday after the train left Baumanskaya station, then spilled onto the platform when it pulled into the next stop at Electrozavodskaya station.
"After the train stopped, the fight continued on the platform. A police officer on the platform arrested six of the brawlers, who were in a state of inebriation. Among them were two citizens of Kyrgyzstan," an unnamed police source told the news agency.
The officer was also injured while breaking up the fight, but other cops later detained two others — also Kyrgyz citizens — in the Bishkek Night cafe in northwestern Moscow.
Both had not registered since arriving in Russia on July 1, 2011, and are being kept in pretrial detention, Interfax reported.
The six people originally detained were given administrative sentences and — after sobering up — were sent to investigators for further questioning.
A Message from The Moscow Times:
Dear readers,
We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent."
These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia.
We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help.
Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact.
By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us.
Remind me later.
