Lame Horse fire
Encyclopedia
The Lame Horse fire occurred on December 5, 2009, around 1 a.m. local time in the nightclub
Khromaya Loshad at 9 Kuybyshev Street, Perm
, Russia
. The fire started when sparks from fireworks
ignited the low ceiling and its willow
twig covering. The fire quickly spread to the walls and damaged the building's electrical wiring, causing the lights to fail.
More than 150 people died. According to initial reports, up to 160 more were injured in the fire; however many of the wounded lost their lives in the following days in hospitals. The nightclub was in the middle of a celebration of its eighth anniversary at the time. A total of 282 people had reportedly been invited to the club's anniversary party.
When the evacuation started, some people left via rear exits. The vast intake of oxygen turned the club's hall into a large fire tube and boosted the spread of fire. As fumes and smoke overtook the air, panic erupted and patrons stampeded toward the exit. According to witnesses, one leaf of the club's double doors was sealed shut, and the public was unaware of the backdoor exit behind the stage not shown by emergency lighting.
A club visitor's report about emergency service acivity:
Another report of a volunteer involved in evacuation:
As of January 1, 2010, 153 people are known to have died as a result of the fire, (94 died at the scene and the rest in hospitals) and 62 victims are still receiving medical treatment in hospitals. During three days following the fire, EMERCOM used specially equipped "mobile hospital" Il-76TD aircraft to transport 65 injured to Moscow and 28 to St. Petersburg. Most of the injured who were transported to Moscow and Saint Petersburg have poor prognoses for recovery. Currently 35 fire victims in hospitals have very poor prognoses. Only several victims were released from hospitals by the end of December. Most victims in more serious condition would need 2–3 months of treatment and likely a year rehabilitation afterwards, including multiple cosmetic surgeries.
One Ukrainian
citizen died and another was injured as a result of the incident. The injured Ukrainian later died in a Perm clinic.
dispatched two planes equipped to transport burn trauma victims. President Dmitry Medvedev
sent many high-level government officials to Perm to aid the victims, manage the incident, and start the criminal investigation, commenting that those who started the blaze "have neither brains, nor conscience". Medvedev declared December 7, 2009 a national day of mourning.
In Perm, a hotline
was established for residents seeking information about the injured or deceased.
The fire was the deadliest in Russia since the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991. The previous high death toll for a fire was in March 2007, at a Krasnodar
assisted living home, which claimed 63 lives. There have been several other deadly fires in public places around Russia in recent years, attributed to the lax enforcement of fire safety regulations.
The disaster bears some similarities to the 2003 Station fire
in the U.S. state of Rhode Island
, caused by the improper usage of indoor pyrotechnics which ignited the flammable sound-proofing foam in the building, killing 100 people. Some survivors and relatives of the victims of that fire expressed their sadness that a similar tragedy had occurred again.
An emergency services spokesman stated most victims died from smoke inhalation
and/or carbon monoxide poisoning
. Emergency Situations Minister Sergei Shoigu
issued a ban on fireworks at many upcoming New Years and Christmas
festivities, and President Medvedev ordered a complete review of fire safety regulations. Additionally, by mid December, Moscow Fire Safety Authority motioned suspending activity of 54 nightclubs and cafes in Moscow alone after surprise checks of 450 facilities revealed safety violations on part of these businesses. Typical violations were lack of a fire alarm, bars installed on windows, construction materials blocking walkways. Some contested court decision and are going to file complaints to prosecutor's office. Others such as popular Moscow clubs B2 and IKRA fixed quickly their violations, paid bribes, and resumed operations. St. Petersburg Fire Safety Authority as a result of surprise checks motioned suspension of activity for 25 venues.
On December 9, 2009, the head of city administration Arkady Kats announced his decision to resign citing the disaster as a reason. On the same day, Perm Krai
Governor Oleg Chirkunov
accepted resignation of the local government. He announced that the new government will be formed only after the fire investigation is finished. On December 11, Perm City Council did not accept Arkady Kats' resignation but instead suspended him from duty for a month. On December 16, opposition party A Just Russia also called for Emergency Situation Minister Shoigu to resign.
During her Moscow concert on December 9, 2009, Whitney Houston
dedicated the song "I Look To You
" to the victims of the nightclub fire saying, "I want to sing this song in memory of those who died in the Russian city of Perm".
i passport
when he was captured, fueling speculations that he was trying to get to Yekaterinburg
and leave Russia via Koltsovo International Airport
.
On December 7, four of the detained suspects were formally charged. Anatoly Zak, executive director Svetlana Yefremova, and caretaker art director Oleg Fetkulov were charged with violations of fire safety rules leading to the deaths of 2 or more people (Article 219, part 3 of the Criminal Code of Russia, carrying a maximum sentence of 7 years). The latter suspect also lost his wife Yevgeniya Fetkulova on December 13 who was present at the club and suffered from multiple burns and smoke inhalation she received during fire. Investigators allowed Oleg Fetkulov to see his deceased wife for the last time at the local morgue
before her funeral. Sergei Derbenyov, director of the pyrotechnics company Pirotsvet (Russian: ООО Пиротехническая компания 'Пироцвет') that supplied the incendiaries, was charged with negligent manslaughter of 2 or more people (Article 109, part 3 of the Criminal Code of Russia, carrying a maximum sentence of 5 years). The fifth suspect, Alexandr Titlyanov, a leaseholder of the premises who also owned 85% of the issued shares of the club, was heavily injured in the fire. Later he was transported to a Moscow clinic with burns over 80% of his body and died on December 9, 2009 in a Moscow clinic before any charges were brought against him.
Investigators say the fireworks that started the blaze were outdoor pyrotechnics, prohibited for use indoors.
On December 8, 2009, during his visit to Perm, Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin acknowledged that local and federal officials were partly responsible for the fire. Later on the same day, EMERCOM dismissed seven officials from Perm Fire Safety Supervision Authority, including its chief and all his deputies. Investigators also found that a fire safety compliance report from 2003 was signed by an inspector who was dismissed in 2002. The next annual fire safety inspection of the Lame Horse was due on December 7.
According to Vladimir Markin, spokesperson for Investigation Committee of the Prosecutor General
's Office, the court approved the motion to confiscate all property of Anatoly Zak. The main reason for the motion was the charges filed by the victims of the inferno. Anatoly Zak reportedly owns or has interest in 28 commercial entities. Additionally, 18 pieces of property are believed to belong to him, including apartments, house and real estate which he leased for profit.
On December 11, 2009, Vladimir Mukhutdinov, who was a chief fire safety inspector of the local Fire Safety Authority, was formally charged with negligence on duty leading to a death of 2 or more people (Article 293, part 3, carrying a maximum sentence of 7 years). The court sanctioned Mukhutdinov's arrest later that day. Mukhudtinov felt weak in the courtroom and had to be hospitalized.
Initial findings by investigation team suggest that the club premises certificate was obtained in 2007 in a fraudulent way. Officials turned a blind eye and there were no official checks of the construction work carried out around 2004-2006. Checks performed after the fire revealed some critically important differences with the original planning permission. By initial design, premises were to have large windows which would have allowed people to escape. Moreover, the club licence officially allowed 50 visitors only. However, a new extension wall did not have any windows at all and large windows were bricked in leaving two exits for several hundreds people inside.
It was also revealed by the ongoing investigation that the name of the club had not been registered by any of the tax authorities of Perm Krai.
The formal investigation was completed on June 4, 2010 with indictments issued against Zak, Yefremova, Fatkulov, Sergei Derbenyov, his son Igor Derbenyov (who allegedly lit the fireworks) and Mukhutdinov. Also indicted were fire inspectors Dmitri Roslyakov and Natalya Prokopyeva (negligence of duty, article 293, part 3). The indictment for Zak, Yefremova and Fatkulov was reclassified from Article 219, part 3 to Article 238, part 3 ("production, storage, transportation or sale of goods, or providing a service without following safety regulations which led to death of 2 or more people", maximum sentence of 10 years). Zak was also indicted for tax evasion (article 198, part 2, maximum sentence of 3 years), that indictment can be removed if he pays back the taxes owed and penalties. Mukhutdinov was indicted for two counts of "misuse of authority" (article 285, maximum sentence of 10 years). The second count was added after the investigators found a 5,000-rubles gift certificate from one of the local alcohol shops in his office. He allegedly issued the permit to the store in question even though it did not fit the fire safety regulations. Another accused, Konstantin Mrykhin, was not in custody at the time and international arrest warrant was issued for him (he allegedly was another co-owner of the club, and was indicted on the same counts as Zak, Yefremova and Fatkulov). Mrykhin was arrested on August 31, 2010 in Barcelona
, Spain
and was expected to be extradited
to Russia in late September or early October 2010. However, he has not been extradited as of late January 2011.
The trial for the other indicted began on September 20, 2010. 304 people who were injured and relatives of the people who died filed civil suits against the accused for a total of about 2.5 billion rubles (approximately ). Zak claimed he is innocent as he was only a passive investor in the club, and club affairs were managed by Titlyanov. Igor Derbenyov petitioned the court to excuse him from appearing in the courtroom due to health problems caused by the injuries he suffered in the fire, but that petition was denied after a medical examination. The trial had to be postponed several times, as accused had to change the lawyers representing them and one of the lawyers was hospitalized to give birth. Court was adjourned until January 25, 2011 as Zak was hospitalized and operated on (part of his large intestine
had to be removed), and even though it was unclear how long Zak's recuperation will take, prosecution said it is impossible to transfer Zak's indictment into a separate case at this stage of the trial. The judge decided to continue the trial after Zak's condition was reported to be satisfactory for him to appear in the courtroom. However, later the same day Zak had to be taken to the hospital again and the hearings were postponed again. Zak was once more reported by the doctors to be fit enough to participate in the trial on 27 January, but this time Igor Derbenyov asked to have his mental health evaluated by psychiatrists as he claims he might have a mental disorder and be not guilty by reason of insanity. Derbenyov was judged mentally competent after a psychiatric evaluation. Derbenyov and Roslyakov were released on their own recognizance on March 1, leaving Zak, Fetkulov and Mukhutdinov in custody.
Nightclub
A nightclub is an entertainment venue which usually operates late into the night...
Khromaya Loshad at 9 Kuybyshev Street, Perm
Perm
Perm is a city and the administrative center of Perm Krai, Russia, located on the banks of the Kama River, in the European part of Russia near the Ural Mountains. From 1940 to 1957 it was named Molotov ....
, Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
. The fire started when sparks from fireworks
Fireworks
Fireworks are a class of explosive pyrotechnic devices used for aesthetic and entertainment purposes. The most common use of a firework is as part of a fireworks display. A fireworks event is a display of the effects produced by firework devices...
ignited the low ceiling and its willow
Willow
Willows, sallows, and osiers form the genus Salix, around 400 species of deciduous trees and shrubs, found primarily on moist soils in cold and temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere...
twig covering. The fire quickly spread to the walls and damaged the building's electrical wiring, causing the lights to fail.
More than 150 people died. According to initial reports, up to 160 more were injured in the fire; however many of the wounded lost their lives in the following days in hospitals. The nightclub was in the middle of a celebration of its eighth anniversary at the time. A total of 282 people had reportedly been invited to the club's anniversary party.
The fire
Approximately 300 people were in the club when the fire began. Ignition occurred when a performance artist threw cold-flame pyrotechnics into the air. Sparks from the fireworks hit the plastic covering of the ceiling, igniting it. An announcer then told the guests to evacuate. As the crowd began to calmly exit the building, the wooden decorations on the interior walls of the club ignited, and the building filled with smoke.When the evacuation started, some people left via rear exits. The vast intake of oxygen turned the club's hall into a large fire tube and boosted the spread of fire. As fumes and smoke overtook the air, panic erupted and patrons stampeded toward the exit. According to witnesses, one leaf of the club's double doors was sealed shut, and the public was unaware of the backdoor exit behind the stage not shown by emergency lighting.
A club visitor's report about emergency service acivity:
Another report of a volunteer involved in evacuation:
As of January 1, 2010, 153 people are known to have died as a result of the fire, (94 died at the scene and the rest in hospitals) and 62 victims are still receiving medical treatment in hospitals. During three days following the fire, EMERCOM used specially equipped "mobile hospital" Il-76TD aircraft to transport 65 injured to Moscow and 28 to St. Petersburg. Most of the injured who were transported to Moscow and Saint Petersburg have poor prognoses for recovery. Currently 35 fire victims in hospitals have very poor prognoses. Only several victims were released from hospitals by the end of December. Most victims in more serious condition would need 2–3 months of treatment and likely a year rehabilitation afterwards, including multiple cosmetic surgeries.
One Ukrainian
Ukraine
Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It has an area of 603,628 km², making it the second largest contiguous country on the European continent, after Russia...
citizen died and another was injured as a result of the incident. The injured Ukrainian later died in a Perm clinic.
Response
Russian Prime Minister Vladimir PutinVladimir Putin
Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin served as the second President of the Russian Federation and is the current Prime Minister of Russia, as well as chairman of United Russia and Chairman of the Council of Ministers of the Union of Russia and Belarus. He became acting President on 31 December 1999, when...
dispatched two planes equipped to transport burn trauma victims. President Dmitry Medvedev
Dmitry Medvedev
Dmitry Anatolyevich Medvedev is the third President of the Russian Federation.Born to a family of academics, Medvedev graduated from the Law Department of Leningrad State University in 1987. He defended his dissertation in 1990 and worked as a docent at his alma mater, now renamed to Saint...
sent many high-level government officials to Perm to aid the victims, manage the incident, and start the criminal investigation, commenting that those who started the blaze "have neither brains, nor conscience". Medvedev declared December 7, 2009 a national day of mourning.
In Perm, a hotline
Hotline
In telecommunication, a hotline is a point-to-point communications link in which a call is automatically directed to the preselected destination without any additional action by the user when the end instrument goes off-hook...
was established for residents seeking information about the injured or deceased.
Aftermath
Rumors have circulated that the incident was a terrorist plot, but the Russian Prosecutor's Investigative Committee spokesman, Vladimir Markin, declared that the fire was caused by unsanctioned use of fireworks indoors.The fire was the deadliest in Russia since the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991. The previous high death toll for a fire was in March 2007, at a Krasnodar
Krasnodar
Krasnodar is a city in Southern Russia, located on the Kuban River about northeast of the Black Sea port of Novorossiysk. It is the administrative center of Krasnodar Krai . Population: -Name:...
assisted living home, which claimed 63 lives. There have been several other deadly fires in public places around Russia in recent years, attributed to the lax enforcement of fire safety regulations.
The disaster bears some similarities to the 2003 Station fire
The Station nightclub fire
The Station nightclub fire was the fourth deadliest nightclub fire in American history, killing 100 people. The fire began at 11:07 PM EST, on Thursday, February 20, 2003, at The Station, a glam metal and rock n roll themed nightclub located at 211 Cowesett Avenue in West Warwick, Rhode Island.The...
in the U.S. state of Rhode Island
Rhode Island
The state of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, more commonly referred to as Rhode Island , is a state in the New England region of the United States. It is the smallest U.S. state by area...
, caused by the improper usage of indoor pyrotechnics which ignited the flammable sound-proofing foam in the building, killing 100 people. Some survivors and relatives of the victims of that fire expressed their sadness that a similar tragedy had occurred again.
An emergency services spokesman stated most victims died from smoke inhalation
Smoke inhalation
Smoke inhalation is the primary cause of death in victims of indoor fires.Smoke inhalation injury refers to injury due to inhalation or exposure to hot gaseous products of combustion. This can cause serious respiratory complications....
and/or carbon monoxide poisoning
Carbon monoxide poisoning
Carbon monoxide poisoning occurs after enough inhalation of carbon monoxide . Carbon monoxide is a toxic gas, but, being colorless, odorless, tasteless, and initially non-irritating, it is very difficult for people to detect...
. Emergency Situations Minister Sergei Shoigu
Sergei Shoigu
Sergey Kuzhugetovich Shoygu is a Russian political figure who has been Minister of Emergency Situations since 1994. He is a ethnic Tuvan and holds the military rank of General of the Army. He is also the President of the International Sport Federation of Firefighters and Rescuers...
issued a ban on fireworks at many upcoming New Years and Christmas
Christmas
Christmas or Christmas Day is an annual holiday generally celebrated on December 25 by billions of people around the world. It is a Christian feast that commemorates the birth of Jesus Christ, liturgically closing the Advent season and initiating the season of Christmastide, which lasts twelve days...
festivities, and President Medvedev ordered a complete review of fire safety regulations. Additionally, by mid December, Moscow Fire Safety Authority motioned suspending activity of 54 nightclubs and cafes in Moscow alone after surprise checks of 450 facilities revealed safety violations on part of these businesses. Typical violations were lack of a fire alarm, bars installed on windows, construction materials blocking walkways. Some contested court decision and are going to file complaints to prosecutor's office. Others such as popular Moscow clubs B2 and IKRA fixed quickly their violations, paid bribes, and resumed operations. St. Petersburg Fire Safety Authority as a result of surprise checks motioned suspension of activity for 25 venues.
On December 9, 2009, the head of city administration Arkady Kats announced his decision to resign citing the disaster as a reason. On the same day, Perm Krai
Perm Krai
Perm Krai is a federal subject of Russia that came into existence on December 1, 2005 as a result of the 2004 referendum on the merger of Perm Oblast and Komi-Permyak Autonomous Okrug. The city of Perm became the administrative center of the new federal subject...
Governor Oleg Chirkunov
Oleg Chirkunov
Oleg Anatolyevich Chirkunov b. November 15, 1958 in Kirovsk, Murmansk Oblast, Russia is the governor of Perm Krai.-Early life:He graduated from Perm State Technical University in 1981 and from the Law Department of Perm State University in 1988. He received his PhD in economics in...
accepted resignation of the local government. He announced that the new government will be formed only after the fire investigation is finished. On December 11, Perm City Council did not accept Arkady Kats' resignation but instead suspended him from duty for a month. On December 16, opposition party A Just Russia also called for Emergency Situation Minister Shoigu to resign.
During her Moscow concert on December 9, 2009, Whitney Houston
Whitney Houston
Whitney Elizabeth Houston is an American singer, actress, producer and a former model. Houston is the most awarded female act of all time, according to Guinness World Records, and her list of awards include 1 Emmy Award, 6 Grammy Awards, 30 Billboard Music Awards, 22 American Music Awards, among...
dedicated the song "I Look To You
I Look to You (song)
"I Look to You" is a pop-soul song performed by American R&B-pop recording artist Whitney Houston, from seventh studio album also titled I Look to You...
" to the victims of the nightclub fire saying, "I want to sing this song in memory of those who died in the Russian city of Perm".
Investigation and trial
On December 5, 2009, four persons were detained in relation to the Lame Horse fire. A court later authorized a two month preliminary detention for the suspects on December 6. One of the accused, Anatoly Zak, allegedly a co-owner of Lame Horse, fled Perm, but was later captured by Russian police. Zak has denied allegations of club ownership. Zak had an IsraelIsrael
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
i passport
Passport
A passport is a document, issued by a national government, which certifies, for the purpose of international travel, the identity and nationality of its holder. The elements of identity are name, date of birth, sex, and place of birth....
when he was captured, fueling speculations that he was trying to get to Yekaterinburg
Yekaterinburg
Yekaterinburg is a major city in the central part of Russia, the administrative center of Sverdlovsk Oblast. Situated on the eastern side of the Ural mountain range, it is the main industrial and cultural center of the Urals Federal District with a population of 1,350,136 , making it Russia's...
and leave Russia via Koltsovo International Airport
Koltsovo International Airport
Koltsovo Airport is an international airport located 16 km southeast of Yekaterinburg, Russia. The airport is a hub for Ural Airlines and Aviacon Zitotrans....
.
On December 7, four of the detained suspects were formally charged. Anatoly Zak, executive director Svetlana Yefremova, and caretaker art director Oleg Fetkulov were charged with violations of fire safety rules leading to the deaths of 2 or more people (Article 219, part 3 of the Criminal Code of Russia, carrying a maximum sentence of 7 years). The latter suspect also lost his wife Yevgeniya Fetkulova on December 13 who was present at the club and suffered from multiple burns and smoke inhalation she received during fire. Investigators allowed Oleg Fetkulov to see his deceased wife for the last time at the local morgue
Morgue
A morgue or mortuary is used for the storage of human corpses awaiting identification, or removal for autopsy or disposal by burial, cremation or otherwise...
before her funeral. Sergei Derbenyov, director of the pyrotechnics company Pirotsvet (Russian: ООО Пиротехническая компания 'Пироцвет') that supplied the incendiaries, was charged with negligent manslaughter of 2 or more people (Article 109, part 3 of the Criminal Code of Russia, carrying a maximum sentence of 5 years). The fifth suspect, Alexandr Titlyanov, a leaseholder of the premises who also owned 85% of the issued shares of the club, was heavily injured in the fire. Later he was transported to a Moscow clinic with burns over 80% of his body and died on December 9, 2009 in a Moscow clinic before any charges were brought against him.
Investigators say the fireworks that started the blaze were outdoor pyrotechnics, prohibited for use indoors.
On December 8, 2009, during his visit to Perm, Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin acknowledged that local and federal officials were partly responsible for the fire. Later on the same day, EMERCOM dismissed seven officials from Perm Fire Safety Supervision Authority, including its chief and all his deputies. Investigators also found that a fire safety compliance report from 2003 was signed by an inspector who was dismissed in 2002. The next annual fire safety inspection of the Lame Horse was due on December 7.
According to Vladimir Markin, spokesperson for Investigation Committee of the Prosecutor General
Prosecutor General of Russia
The Prosecutor General of Russia heads the system of official prosecution in courts known as the Office of the Prosecutor General of Russian Federation ....
's Office, the court approved the motion to confiscate all property of Anatoly Zak. The main reason for the motion was the charges filed by the victims of the inferno. Anatoly Zak reportedly owns or has interest in 28 commercial entities. Additionally, 18 pieces of property are believed to belong to him, including apartments, house and real estate which he leased for profit.
On December 11, 2009, Vladimir Mukhutdinov, who was a chief fire safety inspector of the local Fire Safety Authority, was formally charged with negligence on duty leading to a death of 2 or more people (Article 293, part 3, carrying a maximum sentence of 7 years). The court sanctioned Mukhutdinov's arrest later that day. Mukhudtinov felt weak in the courtroom and had to be hospitalized.
Initial findings by investigation team suggest that the club premises certificate was obtained in 2007 in a fraudulent way. Officials turned a blind eye and there were no official checks of the construction work carried out around 2004-2006. Checks performed after the fire revealed some critically important differences with the original planning permission. By initial design, premises were to have large windows which would have allowed people to escape. Moreover, the club licence officially allowed 50 visitors only. However, a new extension wall did not have any windows at all and large windows were bricked in leaving two exits for several hundreds people inside.
It was also revealed by the ongoing investigation that the name of the club had not been registered by any of the tax authorities of Perm Krai.
The formal investigation was completed on June 4, 2010 with indictments issued against Zak, Yefremova, Fatkulov, Sergei Derbenyov, his son Igor Derbenyov (who allegedly lit the fireworks) and Mukhutdinov. Also indicted were fire inspectors Dmitri Roslyakov and Natalya Prokopyeva (negligence of duty, article 293, part 3). The indictment for Zak, Yefremova and Fatkulov was reclassified from Article 219, part 3 to Article 238, part 3 ("production, storage, transportation or sale of goods, or providing a service without following safety regulations which led to death of 2 or more people", maximum sentence of 10 years). Zak was also indicted for tax evasion (article 198, part 2, maximum sentence of 3 years), that indictment can be removed if he pays back the taxes owed and penalties. Mukhutdinov was indicted for two counts of "misuse of authority" (article 285, maximum sentence of 10 years). The second count was added after the investigators found a 5,000-rubles gift certificate from one of the local alcohol shops in his office. He allegedly issued the permit to the store in question even though it did not fit the fire safety regulations. Another accused, Konstantin Mrykhin, was not in custody at the time and international arrest warrant was issued for him (he allegedly was another co-owner of the club, and was indicted on the same counts as Zak, Yefremova and Fatkulov). Mrykhin was arrested on August 31, 2010 in Barcelona
Barcelona
Barcelona is the second largest city in Spain after Madrid, and the capital of Catalonia, with a population of 1,621,537 within its administrative limits on a land area of...
, Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
and was expected to be extradited
Extradition
Extradition is the official process whereby one nation or state surrenders a suspected or convicted criminal to another nation or state. Between nation states, extradition is regulated by treaties...
to Russia in late September or early October 2010. However, he has not been extradited as of late January 2011.
The trial for the other indicted began on September 20, 2010. 304 people who were injured and relatives of the people who died filed civil suits against the accused for a total of about 2.5 billion rubles (approximately ). Zak claimed he is innocent as he was only a passive investor in the club, and club affairs were managed by Titlyanov. Igor Derbenyov petitioned the court to excuse him from appearing in the courtroom due to health problems caused by the injuries he suffered in the fire, but that petition was denied after a medical examination. The trial had to be postponed several times, as accused had to change the lawyers representing them and one of the lawyers was hospitalized to give birth. Court was adjourned until January 25, 2011 as Zak was hospitalized and operated on (part of his large intestine
Large intestine
The large intestine is the third-to-last part of the digestive system — — in vertebrate animals. Its function is to absorb water from the remaining indigestible food matter, and then to pass useless waste material from the body...
had to be removed), and even though it was unclear how long Zak's recuperation will take, prosecution said it is impossible to transfer Zak's indictment into a separate case at this stage of the trial. The judge decided to continue the trial after Zak's condition was reported to be satisfactory for him to appear in the courtroom. However, later the same day Zak had to be taken to the hospital again and the hearings were postponed again. Zak was once more reported by the doctors to be fit enough to participate in the trial on 27 January, but this time Igor Derbenyov asked to have his mental health evaluated by psychiatrists as he claims he might have a mental disorder and be not guilty by reason of insanity. Derbenyov was judged mentally competent after a psychiatric evaluation. Derbenyov and Roslyakov were released on their own recognizance on March 1, leaving Zak, Fetkulov and Mukhutdinov in custody.