Kirov court convicts education staff over sham exams for 103 foreign nationals

A court in Kirov has convicted the head and a specialist of a private vocational education institution of organizing illegal migration. Regional investigators announced the verdict on October 19.

Investigators said the staff ran examinations in Russian, Russian history and the fundamentals of Russian law in 2023–2024 without testing applicants' knowledge. The fabricated results enabled 103 foreign nationals to obtain certificates and work permits.

The institution's head received a suspended four-year prison sentence. The specialist was sentenced to four years in a general-regime penal colony, but punishment was deferred until the specialist's child turns 14.

The defendants were convicted under Part 2 of Article 322.1 of the Criminal Code, which covers organizing illegal migration as an organized group. The regional Investigative Committee said the verdict has not yet taken legal effect.