The Krasnooktyabrsky District Court of Volgograd sentenced local resident Arsen Melkonyan to three years and two months in a penal settlement, the press service of the regional courts reports. Melkonyan was tried for threatening a judge, who had previously sentenced him to 11 years in prison for murder.
As noted in the press release, in addition, Melkonyan was charged with threatening a FSIN employee and his ex-wife. He was found guilty of threats to kill (119 Criminal Code), threat in connection with the administration of justice (296 Criminal Code) and disorganization of the activities of institutions providing isolation (Part 2 of Article 321 of the Criminal Code).
Melkonyan’s sister Anna had a fight in 2020 in a parent chat with single father Roman Grebenyuk, after which Arsen beat Grebenyuk to death. In 2022, he was sentenced to 11 years in prison.
Melkonyan allegedly signed up for the Wagner PMC, took part in the war with Ukraine and received a pardon, but in May 2023 he was again detained and arrested.
A new case was considered behind closed doors, but the Volgograd News publication published Melkonyan’s words about what he sent to the judge in the first case:
“The SMS sounded like this: “Hello, dear, how are you?” We haven’t seen each other for a long time, we don’t have time, but I’ll stop by someday, maybe I’ll come to your dacha and fry something,” Arsen quotes his message to the judge. “And she didn’t answer me, I wrote to her, saying, if you’re ignoring me, it means I won’t come and put a heart emoticon. Not a single rude word or insult.»
During the second trial, he also announced that he planned to return to the war.