A judge has acquited 14 teenagers of the murder of a Vietnamese student in St. Petersburg. Last month a jury decided the investigation had failed to prove the defendants were guilty of murdering Vu An Tuan.
They also failed to prove that there were any racial motives behind the attack. Vu An Tuan was stabbed to death in 2004 by a group of drunk youngsters. He received 37 knife injuries, and died at the scene. The murdered student's lawyer, Mr Khalliyev, said he would contest the verdict in Russia's Supreme Court and should the verdict remain “not guilty”, then they will pass the case on to courts in Strasbourg.There have been no statements from the acquitted defendants. But the verdict mentions they will be rehabilitated, and possibly be given their jobs back with due compensation paid.