A taxi driver in the Far East city of Khabarovsk who forced two young women who couldn’t pay their fare to smear a green antiseptic on their faces has reportedly become a target himself.
A video doing the rounds on Russian social media on Tuesday shows a man with a close-cropped haircut washing his face and neck with zelyonka, a green Soviet-era antiseptic used to treat cuts, then kneeling down and spitting on the ground.
The person filming the footage accuses him and other drivers of “acting like animals.”
The man looks similar to the driver who was filmed forcing two young women to rub their faces with zelyonka, a Soviet-era caustic antiseptic, after they were unable to pay for their rides.
The footage caused an uproar and the driver has reportedly been fired.
The state-run RIA Novosti news agency cited a local Interior Ministry spokesman as saying the driver told police he hadn’t pressured his passengers into painting their faces with zelyonka, but that he had proposed it “as an alternative to not paying for their rides, and they agreed."
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.