Sentenced Uzbeks Who Escaped From Russian Prison

A court in the Russian city of Lipetsk sentenced six prisoners who managed to escape from a penal colony by digging a 30-meter tunnel in October 2024. Five of them were citizens of Uzbekistan.

The fugitives were found guilty under Article 313 of the Russian Criminal Code ("Escape from detention by a group of persons") and sentenced to terms of 4.5 to 12.5 years in prison.

According to the Voronezh Regional Prosecutor's Office, convicts serving their sentences in colony No. 2 in the city of Lipetsk dug a tunnel for 2 months using a metal sheet, a piece of metal pipe, a shovel, and a cutting disc.

At night, they left the colony and traveled several dozen kilometers towards Tambov and Moscow. The next day, five prisoners were captured. The sixth managed to hide for almost two weeks.

The Uzbeks were reportedly imprisoned for pedophilia, drugs, and assault. They are said to be between the ages of 19 and 28.