Russian fencer Sergei Bida and his wife Violetta could face up to 10 years in prison under the criminal article on «AWOL».
As Life.ru writes with reference to SHOT, the fencing spouses were declared wanted in September after they moved to the United States in the summer of 2023, where they joined a local masters academy. Bida is an officer of the Russian Federal Guard and a member of the Dynamo society, while Violetta is an employee of the Russian Defense Ministry and a member of CSKA.
Sergei Bida won a silver medal at the 2020 Olympic Games in the team event, and also has silver and bronze at World Championships and has been European champion three times, also in team events. His wife Violetta Bida (maiden name Hrapina) has also won silver at the World and European Championships in team events.
Earlier, Bida's mother told RT that the athlete had applied for dismissal from the Rosgvardia, but was denied.