A man who formerly worked as an official in the Russian prison system shot himself dead in a Moscow court on Wednesday after receiving a three-year prison sentence for corruption charges.
Viktor Sviridov had cancer. He and his legal team had expected that the judge would not include a prison term in his sentence.
From AP:
Local court and investigative officials said Viktor Sviridov, who had served as chief of department in Russia's federal prison service, took out a pistol and fired it at his chest after a judge declared him guilty and imposed the sentence.
Officials were examining how Sviridov managed to bring the gun into the court building when he arrived for the hearing from home. Court officials said a metal detector at the entrance was functioning properly.
Sviridov had pleaded guilty to the corruption charges, which involved extorting a bribe of 10-million rubles (over $158,000.)
Read more:
Ex-official kills himself in Moscow courtroom after verdict
