Russian soldier gets 4 years for brutal bullying

CHELYABINSK, Russia, Sep 26 (Reuters) A Russian court today sentenced a conscript to four years in prison for physically abusing a younger recruit so badly doctors had to amputate his legs and genitals.

The injuries to Andrei Sychev highlighted the brutal bullying widespread in Russia's military and embarrassed Defence Minister Sergei Ivanov, who many believe is a potential successor to President Vladimir Putin in 2008 elections.

Analysts believe the case was given unusual publicity at the time as part of a campaign by a Kremlin faction to spoil Ivanov's chances.

Judge Yuri Shatitsky said junior sergeant Alexander Sivyakov forced Sychev, a fellow conscript, to crouch for hours as part of a bullying ritual as his unit in the Urals mountains went on a drinking spree to mark the New Year holiday.

''As a result, serious damage was done to Sychev's health,'' said the judge as he read the verdict in a Chelyabinsk military court. The crouching cut the blood flow to Sychev's limbs and he developed gangrene. He was 19 years old at the time.

The case was covered prominently on Kremlin-controlled state television and a public outcry ensued.

However the injuries were not unusual for Russia's army, where hundreds of conscripts are killed or maimed each year away from combat zones.

''There was clearly a strong political dimension to this case,'' one senior diplomat said on condition of anonymity.

Sychev's family said through their lawyer they would appeal the verdict. ''This sentence is too mild,'' said lawyer Yevgeny Belov. ''He can no longer live a full life. The damage to his health is irreversible'' Prosecutors had asked the judge to sentence Sivyakov to six years in prison. He denied the charges.

Ivanov was abroad when news of Sychev's injuries first emerged, which made him look out of touch. Asked about the case, he said at the time: ''If there was something serious then I would have been informed.'' A Kremlin faction led by Kremlin deputy chief of staff Igor Sechin used the Sychev case to damage Ivanov's standing, said defence analyst Pavel Felgenhauer.

''Ivanov was a very strong candidate to be Putin's successor and the Sechin group ..... wanted to discredit Ivanov as a serious candidate and persuade Putin to run for a third term,'' said Felgenhauer, who writes for the Novaya Gazeta newspaper.

Nobody in the Kremlin press office was immediately available for comment on the case.

REUTERS AB BS1810