Russian pensioner dies after arrest for allegedly 'stealing butter'
| Publisher | Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty |
| Publication Date | 4 February 2015 |
| Cite as | Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, Russian pensioner dies after arrest for allegedly 'stealing butter', 4 February 2015, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/54e1a4c712.html [accessed 1 June 2023] |
| Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
February 04, 2015
An 81-year-old woman has died at a Russian police station, apparently from a heart attack, after being detained on suspicion of stealing butter from a supermarket.
The Russian pensioner died after complaining of feeling unwell at the police station in Kronstadt, a port town close to St. Petersburg.
Russia's RIA Novosti news agency, citing the Interior Ministry, said the woman was suspected of stealing three packs of butter.
A 200-gram package of butter costs around 50 to 80 rubles ($.75 to $1.20).
Prosecutors said they were investigating the alleged theft, adding that the woman was not carrying any identification.
Russian pensioners who receive a basic state pension struggle to buy basic essentials.
With inflation rising in Russia amid Western sanctions over Moscow's support for pro-Russian separatists in eastern Ukraine, pensioners and others on fixed state incomes are finding it more difficult to get by.
Based on reporting by AFP and RIA Novosti
Link to original story on RFE/RL website
