This archive report was first published on 24 December 2019.
December 24, 2019 - In a shocking case, Oleg Sokolov, a 63-year-old expert on Napoleon based in Saint Petersburg, was arrested in November after being pulled out of the icy Moika River with a backpack containing a woman's arms.
He is accused of murdering his 24-year-old girlfriend and former student Anastasia Yeshchenko, and a Moscow court has extended his detention until April 9.
"The court has ruled to extend the detention for three months, until April 9," Sokolov's lawyer Alexander Pochuyev told AFP.
According to Pochuyev, the defence will decide whether to appeal later.
The case has sparked widespread outrage in Russia, with many demanding action to address reports of domestic violence and harassment in Russian universities.
As a professor at Saint Petersburg State University, Sokolov was known for his expertise on Napoleon and often led historical re-enactments of the Napoleonic war in Russia.
He received France's Legion d'Honneur in 2003 and co-authored several works with Yeshchenko, who was also his girlfriend.
