Russian army hazing victim Andrei Sychyov sits on a wheelchair at home in Yekaterinburg.
On New Year’s Day in 2006 in the barracks of the Chelyabinsk Tank Academy, a sergeant, possibly drunk, meted out punishment to Pvt. Andrei S. Sychyov.
Private Sychyov was forced to squat for three and a half hours. When he complained, as the pain worsened, the sergeant stomped on his ankle twice.
Private Sychyov suffered injuries that resulted in infection, then in the amputation of his both legs, a finger, and genitals.
His case became the biggest scandal to reflect the state of Russia’s army and the country’s human rights situation.
