CHERNYSHEV & CHERNYSHEV
CRIMINAL LAWYERS
Involved in a Fight in Russia?
Criminal Charges for Bodily Harm

Last updated: March 2026
If you are a foreign national in Russia — whether as a tourist, student, or here for work — and you have been involved in a fight or an incident in which another person was injured, you may be facing criminal charges under Articles 111, 112, or 115 of the Russian Criminal Code. The severity of the charge depends not on how the incident happened, but on the medical classification of the victim's injuries.

This page explains how Russian law categorises bodily harm, what penalties apply at each level, and what you should do if you are under investigation. If you need immediate help, contact our English-speaking or Chinese-speaking criminal defence lawyers in Moscow.
What Does the Law Say?
Russian criminal law divides bodily harm into three categories. The category is determined by a forensic medical examination of the victim's injuries — not by the court, and not by you.

Article 115 — Light Bodily Harm. Injury causing a short-term health impairment (up to three weeks) or a minor but permanent loss of general working capacity. The basic offence carries a maximum of two years' imprisonment. Light harm cases are initiated by the victim's complaint; if the parties reconcile, the case may be terminated.

Article 112 — Medium Bodily Harm. Injury not dangerous to life, but causing a prolonged health disorder or a significant permanent loss of working capacity of less than one-third. The basic offence carries up to three years' imprisonment; aggravated circumstances increase this to five years. Unlike Article 115, these cases are prosecuted by the state and cannot be ended by reconciliation alone.

Article 111 — Serious Bodily Harm. Injury dangerous to life, or resulting in loss of sight, speech, hearing, an organ or its function, mental illness, permanent disfigurement, or loss of working capacity of one-third or more. The basic offence carries up to eight years' imprisonment. Where serious harm results in the victim's death through negligence, the maximum is fifteen years. Criminal liability under Article 111 attaches from age fourteen.
Aggravating circumstances — including use of a weapon, commission in a group, harm to a minor, or motivation by racial or ethnic hatred — increase the maximum sentence under each article.
New Forensic Medical Rules in Force Since September 2025
The classification of bodily harm in Russian criminal cases does not depend solely on the Criminal Code. It depends on how forensic medical experts apply the Ministry of Health's classification criteria — and those criteria changed significantly on 1 September 2025.
Order No. 172н of the Russian Ministry of Health, signed on 8 April 2025, replaced the classification rules that had governed forensic medical practice since 2008. The new order applies to all forensic medical examinations conducted from 1 September 2025 onwards and remains in effect until 1 September 2031.

The practical implications for anyone facing charges are as follows.

Updated medical criteria. The standards used to classify injuries as light, medium, or serious have been rewritten to reflect current medical practice and to eliminate the ambiguous language that previously allowed divergent expert conclusions in similar cases.

Revised working capacity thresholds. The table of percentages for permanent loss of working capacity — which determines whether an injury crosses the line from light to medium, or from medium to serious — has been updated across a wide range of injury types. A lawyer must verify that the expert's conclusions in your specific case apply the new table correctly, not the pre-2025 rules.

One qualifying criterion is sufficient. The order makes explicit that the presence of a single qualifying criterion is enough to establish a given degree of harm. Expert conclusions cannot be challenged simply on the basis that other criteria are absent.

Changes to how medical complications are assessed. If the victim's condition worsened following medical treatment, harm from that worsening is now assessed only where a direct causal link to a shortcoming in the medical care can be established. This is relevant in cases where injuries initially appeared minor but escalated during hospitalisation.

Forearm injury threshold tightened. A further amendment in August 2025 tightened one specific criterion: impaired forearm function now requires severe restriction of movement in both the wrist and elbow joints, rather than either one. This narrows the basis for classifying certain arm injuries as serious harm.

This is a new regulatory framework and court practice under it is still forming. Working with a lawyer who is actively monitoring how forensic medical experts and courts are applying Order No. 172н gives you a material advantage over advice based on the pre-2025 rules.
What to Do If You Are Facing Charges
Step 1. Contact a criminal defence lawyer before speaking to the police
Do not give any statement or explanation to investigators without a lawyer present. As a foreign national you are entitled to an interpreter, but obtaining a defence lawyer immediately is the more important right to exercise first. Anything said in the initial stages of an investigation can shape the entire case against you.

Step 2. Understand your procedural status
Russian criminal procedure distinguishes between witnesses, suspects, and accused persons. Each status carries different rights and obligations. Your lawyer will establish your current status and prevent investigators from questioning you informally as a witness when you are in fact a suspect — a common tactic that strips you of key procedural protections.

Step 3. Monitor the forensic medical examination
The outcome of your case turns almost entirely on how the victim's injuries are classified by forensic medical experts. Since September 2025, experts are applying new classification criteria under Order No. 172н. Your lawyer must review both the methodology and the conclusions of the examination against the current rules and, where necessary, request an independent expert opinion. Reclassification from medium to light harm — or successfully challenging an unjustified classification of serious harm — can be the difference between a suspended sentence and years of imprisonment.

Step 4. Preserve evidence of self-defence or mitigating circumstances
Russian law recognises necessary defence as a complete ground for exemption from criminal liability under Article 37 of the Criminal Code. Your lawyer will identify and secure CCTV footage, witness statements, medical evidence of any injuries you sustained, and any other material demonstrating the context of the incident — before it is lost.

Step 5. Understand the travel restrictions
If you have a fixed registered address in Russia — a student dormitory, a rented apartment — the investigator will likely impose a travel restriction order. You will not be able to leave Russia until the case is concluded, typically six months to a year depending on the complexity of the investigation. If you are a tourist or do not have a fixed address, you may be placed under arrest. Acting promptly through a lawyer maximises the chance of a less restrictive measure being applied.

Step 6. Explore resolution options
For Article 115 cases, reconciliation with the victim can result in the case being terminated — but only if handled correctly and documented by a lawyer. For Articles 112 and 111, your lawyer will assess the full range of options: a special order trial if you accept the charge, a full trial contesting the evidence, or procedural motions that can significantly reduce the charge or the sentence.
Can You Claim Self-Defence?
Article 37 of the Russian Criminal Code provides for necessary defence as a complete ground for exemption from criminal liability. If you caused harm while defending yourself or another person against an unlawful attack, and the limits of necessary defence were not exceeded, you are not criminally liable.

Exceeding the limits of necessary defence (Article 114) is itself a separate and significantly less serious offence, carrying a maximum of one year for medium harm and two years for serious harm.

This is not automatic. Russian investigators frequently resist the necessary defence argument, particularly when the victim sustained more serious injuries than the defendant. Your lawyer must build the factual record for this argument from the very first stages of the investigation — not at trial.
About Chernyshev & Chernyshev
Our practice was established in 2000 by advocate Vladimir Chernyshev, founder of the Chernyshev legal family. Over two decades, he earned the trust of his clients by fiercely defending their interests in Russian courts. His sons Ilya and Danil joined the practice after years of living and working in China, Europe and the United Kingdom, bringing firsthand knowledge of international legal affairs, fluency in English, and working proficiency in Chinese. Today Chernyshev & Chernyshev is a team of advocates dedicated to representing foreign nationals in Russia.
Contact a Criminal Defence Lawyer Now
We charge fixed fees for each stage of criminal proceedings. There are no hidden costs or hourly rates — you know the full cost of your defence before we begin.
Contact us for a consultation and we will provide a clear fee estimate based on your situation.
Our advocates are available 24/7 and represent clients in Moscow, St Petersburg, and any other Russian city.

Head of Criminal Practice
Advocate Ilya Chernyshev
Phone / WhatsApp: +7 926 720 8080
WeChat: ilyachernyshev
Email: ilya@chernyshev.law

Advocate Danil Chernyshev
Phone / WhatsApp: +7 929 113 1331
WeChat: danilchernyshev
Email: danil@chernyshev.law
Frequently Asked Questions
  • Q:
    What is the difference between light, medium, and serious bodily harm?
    A:
    he classification is determined by a forensic medical examination of the victim's injuries. Light harm covers injuries causing up to three weeks of health impairment. Medium harm covers prolonged disorders or significant permanent loss of working capacity below one-third. Serious harm covers life-threatening injuries or those causing permanent severe consequences such as loss of an organ, mental illness, or significant permanent disability.
  • Q:
    Have the rules for classifying injuries changed recently?
    A:
    Yes. Since 1 September 2025, forensic medical experts apply new classification criteria under Ministry of Health Order No. 172н, which replaced rules that had been in force since 2008. The medical criteria and the working capacity thresholds used to distinguish between categories of harm have both been updated. If your incident occurred after this date, your lawyer must verify that the expert's conclusions correctly reflect the current rules.
  • Q:
    Can the case be dropped if I reconcile with the victim?
    A:
    Only for Article 115. These cases are initiated by the victim's complaint and can be terminated upon reconciliation. For Articles 112 and 111, reconciliation does not automatically end the case, though it may be taken into account as a mitigating factor at sentencing.
  • Q:
    I acted in self-defence. Does that mean I will not be charged?
    A:
    Not automatically. The limits of permissible necessary defence are frequently disputed in practice. If your lawyer can establish that you acted within the limits of Article 37, you may be fully exempt from liability. If the limits were exceeded, you may face a lesser charge under Article 114. This requires thorough factual and legal work from the very beginning of the investigation.
  • Q:
    Can a foreigner be detained for a bodily harm charge?
    A:
    Yes. If you do not have a fixed registered address in Russia, the investigator may apply for your detention on the grounds that you are a flight risk. If you have a student dormitory address or a registered apartment, a travel restriction order is more likely. Acting immediately through a lawyer maximises the chance of a less restrictive measure being applied.
  • Q:
    How long does an investigation typically last?
    A:
    For Article 115 cases, investigations are typically resolved within a few months if the parties reconcile. For Articles 112 and 111, the investigation stage alone commonly takes six months to a year, depending on the complexity of the forensic examination. Throughout this period you may be subject to travel restrictions or other preventive measures.
  • Q:
    Do I need a lawyer if I plan to plead guilty?
    A:
    Yes. A lawyer ensures that the charge you plead to accurately reflects the evidence, including the correct medical classification of the injuries under the rules currently in force. Pleading guilty to Article 111 when the facts support only Article 112 carries a drastically different sentence. Your lawyer will also ensure all mitigating circumstances are properly documented and will advise whether a special order trial is in your interest.