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Russian Doctor Receives 9-Year Sentence for Fatally Assaulting Patient

Ilya Zelendinov, the Russian doctor accused of fatally assaulting a patient at a hospital in the southern Russian city of Belgorod, has been sentenced to nine years and two months in prison, the Interfax news agency reported Thursday.

The court also ruled that he cannot practice as a doctor for three years after his release.

The prosecutors had requested a 10 ½ year prison sentence for Zelendinov. The defense team wanted a suspended sentence.

The incident occurred on Dec. 29, 2015. During a procedure, 57-year-old patient Yevgeny Vakhtin allegedly kicked a nurse. The 32-year-old doctor hit the patient, who fell to the floor and died.

The incident provoked outrage among the public after security camera footage of the attack was released online.

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