Russian Businessman Convicted After Teen Dies from Gas Poisoning

A businessman in Nakhodka has been convicted for selling household gas to a teenager, resulting in the boy's death from acute poisoning. The case marks a rare instance of legal action in Russia over such incidents since 2020. Prosecutors in Primorsky Krai secured the guilty verdict after an earlier acquittal was overturned on appeal.

The tragedy unfolded in Nakhodka when a sole trader sold three canisters of liquefied gas to a minor. The teenager later died from butane poisoning, prompting a criminal investigation. Initially, a court acquitted the defendant in 2025.

The Primorsky Krai Prosecutor's Office challenged the ruling and filed an appeal. A retrial followed, leading to a conviction under Part 1 of Article 109 of the Russian Criminal Code for causing death by negligence. The court sentenced the entrepreneur to one year and six months of restricted freedom. In addition to the criminal penalty, the victim's mother filed a civil claim. The court ordered the defendant to pay compensation for both moral and material damages.

The verdict sets a legal precedent in a region where no prior prosecutions for fatal household gas poisonings involving minors had been documented since 2020. The businessman's conviction includes both a prison alternative sentence and financial restitution to the victim's family.