Former policeman in Novosibirsk charged with killing his ex-girlfriend, a transgender woman

In Novosibirsk, ex-police officer Denis Kalinin has been officially charged with the murder of transgender woman Viktoria Basakovskaya, the human rights organization Zona Prava told Meduza.

Kalinin was charged under article five, section one of the Russian Criminal Code (murder without aggravating circumstances), which is punishable by between six and fifteen years in prison. He will remain in custody until December 13.

According to state investigators, Kalinin strangled Basakovskaya in the town of Burmistrovo (Novosibirsk Region) on October 5. He then cut off her thumb and took her phone, so he could unlock it and turn it on at another location, making it more difficult to track her geolocation. Kalinin and Basakovskaya previously dated.

Basakovskaya was initially considered a missing person; the search for her lasted about a week. Kalinin helped lead the search, but confessed to the crime after the woman’s body was found.