The sentence for the head of the cable car in Nalchik did not satisfy the residents of Kabardino-Balkaria.

The three-year suspended sentence for the head of the cable car in Nalchik, where 13 people were injured in an accident, is disproportionate to the consequences of the incident, residents of Kabardino-Balkaria stated on social media. In their opinion, such a lenient punishment creates conditions for impunity and new violations of safety requirements.

As reported by "Caucasian Knot", on October 22, the Nalchik City Court sentenced the head of the "Zhemchuzhina" cable car complex to three years of suspended imprisonment with a probation period of two years.

On August 8, 2025, in the Atazhukinsky Park of Nalchik, the cable of the cable car broke, with 23 people in the chairs. Almost half of the people fell - some into the water, some onto the ground, while the rest were rescued by emergency services. As a result of the incident, thirteen people were injured, among them the most seriously - three adults and two teenagers. In September, the Nalchik City Court satisfied the prosecutor's claim and ordered the cable car owner to pay more than 3 million rubles to three victims, but the Supreme Court of the republic reduced the amount of compensation by half.

Residents of Kabardino-Balkaria criticized the leniency of the punishment for the head of the "Zhemchuzhina" cable car and questioned the fairness of the verdict. The discussion unfolded under a post on the Instagram*-public chp.nalchik, dedicated to the court decision.

As of 16:00 Moscow time on October 25, this post on the Instagram*-public "chp.nalchik", which has about 531.2 thousand followers, received 342 likes and 80 comments.

"If it were an ordinary worker, he would get 10 years," wrote lia_li_li07.

"For stealing a loaf of bread, they really put you in jail, but here so many people were harmed and three years suspended? That's what it means to have money and a good lawyer," believes zarema33797.

"Suspended! Ridiculous. This is equivalent to justification," stated ellabzenikova.

Other participants in the discussion pointed out that the leniency of the punishment could lead to further violations of safety rules.

"Suspended for injuries to so many people? Such a punishment shows that one can continue to be negligent in their duties, with the equipment, and, most importantly, with people," stated a user bu_bu0108.

"I assure you, he will reopen the cable car until the next moment, until he decides to fix the problem himself. He will fix it, and it will be the same. God forbid," expressed concerns i_kkkkk_i.

"Tighten all punishments, and see how everyone will be afraid and work properly. At least in places where they work with people, with their safety," suggested zalya_zalechka.

Some commentators questioned the completeness of holding those responsible accountable, pointing out the need to establish the role of the owners of the facility.

"Very interesting wording 'head of the cable car', it strongly smells of having found a scapegoat. Who is the owner of the facility? Who profited from its operation? Names and surnames to the studio," wrote aleksandr___07.

Recall that according to investigations, on August 8, 2025, during the provision of excursion services on the cable car, the drive shaft of the main mechanism broke. This led to the people in the chairs falling out of them. They sustained injuries of varying severity. A total of 13 people were injured as a result of the incident, one of whom suffered serious harm to their health. According to the court, already in December 2023, during an inspection of the main mechanisms of the cable car, damage to the drive shaft was discovered. The convicted person, understanding that continuing to operate the cable car with a damaged shaft was impossible and that the mechanism needed to be replaced, independently repaired it and continued its operation.

As early as the end of 2024, experts from Rostekhnadzor concluded that the operation of the cable car violated safety requirements and created a threat of harm to people. On December 5 of the same year, a representative of LLC "EK 'Zhemchuzhina'" in court acknowledged the claims of the lawsuit but explained that most of the violations had been eliminated.