Spanish Publisher Stops Selling Book By Russian Professor Sokolov Charged With Murder

MADRID (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 16th November, 2019) Spanish publishing company Desperta Ferro told Sputnik it had removed a book by Russian history professor Oleg Sokolov from its catalog and urged its partner bookstores not to sell it in the wake of a criminal probe on homicide charges against Sokolov.

Sokolov is a leading Russian expert in the Napoleonic Wars who was also awarded France's Legion of Honor for his work. Last Saturday, he was found in a river in St. Petersburg with a backpack containing a woman's severed arms. The professor was arrested. Police subsequently found the decapitated body of his partner and former student, 24-year-old Anastasia Yeshenko, in his apartment. According to the investigation, Sokolov shot Yeshenko on November 7 and tried to dispose of her body. Sokolov has subsequently confessed to murdering Yeshenko. The book "Austerlitz. Napoleon, Europe and Russia" was the only book by the professor published in Spain, which Sokolov repeatedly visited for participating in re-enactment events.

"Despite the fact that after news about the murder committed in St. Petersburg the demand for the book has sharply surged and it was immediately sold out on Amazon, we have decided not to sell it anymore. We do not want to do business on tragedy. The human factor, not any other reason, should prevail in this situation," the publishing house's co-founder, Javier Gomez, said.

Spain's historic re-enactment associations were shocked by the tragedy.

Luis Sorando, the president of the Spanish Napoleonic Association, who met Sokolov during the re-enactment events in the 2,000s, told Sputnik that the news about the murder committed by Sokolov had been met with surprise in Spain.

"He is a murderer and he does not deserve any award. He only deserves the harshest punishment. I wish he is never released from jail. But I do not agree that his books should be recalled," Sorando told Sputnik.

Sorando explained that despite what he did, Sokolov remained a good expert.