Belarusian detained for violent attack on Afghan boy in Moscow

KABUL (Pajhwok): A Belarusian man has been arrested after picking up a one-year-old Afghan boy and violently throwing him to the ground in the arrivals hall of Moscow’s Sheremetyevo Airport, media reports said on Thursday.

The child reportedly sustained severe spinal and cranial injuries as a result of the attack.

According to The Daily Mirror, the suspect, identified as 31-year-old construction worker Vladimir Vitkov, has been taken into custody and has confessed to “attempting to murder” the child.

The boy had recently arrived in Russia with his family, who were fleeing Iran amid a 12-day war with Israel.

“Yazdan, aged 18 months, is now fighting for his life with serious skull fractures and spinal injuries,” The Mirror read, adding that Vitkov was on board the same flight as the child and his mother.

It said the boy suffered skull fractures and spinal injuries, with the latter reporting that the boy was “in a coma”.

Graphic CCTV showed Vitkov picking up the boy before “hurling him to the ground of Moscow airport’s arrivals hall”.

“The attacker — described as a ‘monster’ by a Russian official — apparently checks to see if anyone is watching and then suddenly grabs the child, throwing him hard on the floor in the arrivals section of Sheremetyevo airport,” The Mail reported.

According to The Mail, Vitkov reportedly flew to Moscow from Cyprus or Egypt and was rapidly taken into custody after the incident, amid suspicions he was under the influence of drugs.

The Mirror reported that Vitkov had been fired from a nuclear power plant construction job in Egypt after failing a spot check for drugs and alcohol and was returning home via Moscow, citing a friend of the suspect’s.

“He (Vitkov) ‘confessed’ when a police interrogator asked: ‘Explain what you did’,” The Mirror reported. Vitkov responded with, “I attempted to murder a child.”

The Mail reported that police are examining whether there was a racist or other motivation for the act against the child. However, The Mirror said that when his motive was questioned, he replied that he did not know because he was “under the influence of drugs”.

“Reports said cannabis had been found in his possession, and there were traces of the drug in his blood. Mash news outlet reported today that he had drunk three bottles of whisky and obtained cannabis in Cairo before the incident,” The Mirror reported.

Moscow region children’s ombudswoman Ksenia Mishonova was quoted as saying, “A drug-addled monster grabbed a toddler in the arrivals hall and threw him on the floor with all his might. All this is incredibly difficult to bear.

“I hope the detained monster will receive the full severity of the law. I wish the child a speedy recovery. May the parents have the strength to survive this.”

The Mirror quoted the ombudswoman as saying she hopes Vitkov receives “hard labour until he is feeble with old age”.

Ruhollah Hotak, a political affairs expert, has described the incident as a painful tragedy and a crime against humanity.

He emphasized that under international law—particularly humanitarian law—such an act against a child constitutes violence and a grave crime.

Hotak stated that, according to Russian law, committing murder or causing serious physical harm is a criminal offense, and the perpetrator must face a firm and appropriate punishment.

“Our recommendation and request,” Hotak said, “is that in line with international legal standards and Islamic principles, the perpetrator should receive a severe and just punishment. The child and their family must be compensated for the physical and psychological damage they have suffered, and stronger security measures should be implemented to prevent such incidents in the future.”

Political analyst Amanullah Hotaki described the incident as deeply painful and tragic, saying such actions are far removed from the principles of humanity and decency.

He said: “This is something no one would ever do—not a Muslim to a Jew, nor a Jew to a Muslim. From every angle, it was a horrific incident, utterly unbearable to witness.”

He urged the Russian government and international organizations working in this field to prosecute the attacker and impose a severe punishment, so that children around the world are protected from such acts and it serves as a lesson to others.

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