A court in Yekaterinburg, a city in Russia’s Ural Mountains region, has sentenced Daniil Fomin to eight years in prison for the fatal stabbing of François Ndjelassili, a Gabonese student, local media reported Monday.
The sentencing concludes a case that has drawn attention to issues of racial violence and the treatment of foreign students in Russia. Prosecutors had initially sought an 11-year sentence for Fomin, who was charged with murdering Ndjelassili in August 2023.
Ndjelassili, an economics student at Ural Federal University, had been living in Russia for several years before the incident. Eyewitness accounts describe an altercation that began at a Burger King restaurant after Ndjelassili was seen interacting with a Russian woman. The confrontation escalated outside, where witnesses reported hearing racial slurs before the fatal stabbing occurred.
Throughout the trial, Fomin maintained his innocence, claiming self-defense. However, unconfirmed reports suggested possible connections to a white supremacist group, and a closed neo-Nazi channel on Telegram allegedly organized a fundraiser for Fomin’s legal expenses following his arrest.
The case also highlighted concerns about law enforcement response. Two traffic police officers were fired for misconduct after video footage showed them failing to intervene promptly in the altercation. The officers were recorded making dismissive comments about the fight, saying, “there’s no need to break anything up” and “it’s not our problem.”
In the aftermath of Ndjelassili’s death, The Moscow Times reported that African students in Yekaterinburg were left shaken, underscoring the challenges and dangers faced by people of color in Russia.
This case has reignited discussions about racial tensions, the safety of international students, and the response of law enforcement to such incidents in Russia. As the sentence is handed down, advocacy groups continue to call for greater protections for foreign students and minorities in the country.
The Russian government has not issued an official statement regarding the case or its broader implications for international students in the country.
