Bloggers in Kirov have recruited Governor Nikita Belykh in their search for a ticket collector who shoved a third-grader off a bus late last month, news reports said.
The incident occurred on Dec. 21, when the boy reportedly boarded a bus using a valid ticket but was then shoved off by the ticket collector for refusing to pay a 15 ruble fee to transport his "heavy" backpack, Lenta.ru reported.
The boy's father, Sergei Ashikhmin, took his story to the media after local police told him that nothing could be done over the matter. After the story broke in the regional newspaper Vyatka, Governor Belykh said on his Twitter account: "We'll get to the bottom of it."
Ashikhmin, who believes the ticket collector was trying to extort money from his son, has reportedly appealed to the regional prosecutor. He says that he doesn't actually want the ticket collector jailed, but simply wants her to be punished, "since such actions need to be answered for."
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.
