An appeals court in Zanzibar, Tanzania, sentenced two...

An appeals court in Zanzibar, Tanzania, sentenced two Russians to the death penalty. The Russian Foreign Ministry said that the sentence was handed down to Russian citizens Ivan Ochirov and Dmitry Kosyakov.
They were charged with the murder of another Russian, Alexei Sotnikov, in Zanzibar on December 15, 1997. The Foreign Ministry said the Zanzibar Supreme Court wrapped up proceedings in the case back in July 2000, and in May 2001, the two defendants were sentenced to 15 years in prison each.
But the Zanzibar appeals court overturned the Supreme Court ruling and sentenced the men to the death penalty. The Russian Foreign Ministry said that on April 24, the Russian Embassy in Dar-es-Salam sent a note to the Tanzanian Foreign Ministry asking the country's authorities to "refrain from putting the sentence into effect."
The note said that "considering the friendly relations with Tanzania and the principles of humanity, Russia hopes this case will be revised and the young Russians will remain alive." Russia also sent an appeal for pardon to Zanzibar's president, as well as a petition to the appeals court asking that the case be revised.
The Foreign Ministry stressed that the Russian ambassador in Tanzania is maintaining constant contact with the local authorities on this issue, and embassy officials regularly visit Ochirov and Kosyakov in prison.