A 15-year-old student at a school in St. Petersburg was severely beaten by a classmate and an older student after posting a profile photo on social media featuring an Israeli flag. Russia’s Investigative Committee has opened a review of the incident.
According to reports in Russian media, the dispute began in early December when another student, identified in reports under the pseudonym “Sergei,” objected to the Israeli flag in the boy’s profile photo. The attacker, who reportedly espoused extreme nationalist views, threatened the boy and hurled insults, including references to the Holocaust.
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Flags at a demonstration in support of Israel, archive
(Photo: AP Photo / Lindsey Wasson)
After a verbal confrontation in which the victim responded, he was summoned for a conversation in the school’s restroom area earlier this month. There, he encountered the attacker and an older student who blocked the exit. The assailants demanded that he apologize on his knees, which he refused, though he said he was willing to apologize without humiliation. He was then struck several times in the face.
As a result of the assault, the boy suffered a fracture to the eye socket. He was hospitalized, underwent surgery under general anesthesia to remove bone fragments, spent more than a week in the hospital and is now receiving outpatient care. Doctors recommended that he switch to home-based schooling, a matter now being discussed with school administrators.
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The boy's blurred face, in a photograph published in the Russian media
(Photo: 78.ru)
The boy’s mother filed a police complaint, and the Investigative Committee is examining the circumstances of the attack. Regional authorities said they are also reviewing the case. The incident has drawn widespread media attention in Russia, with reports suggesting the motive may have been national or ethnic hatred.