The sentence for the false report of a terrorist attack at a Krasnodar church has been upheld.

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The appellate court upheld the sentence of Krasnodar resident Sergei Novikov, who was sentenced to three years in a penal colony for knowingly making a false report of a terrorist attack in a church.

As reported by the "Caucasian Knot," last December, a court in Krasnodar sentenced local resident Sergei Novikov to three years in a penal colony for making a false report of an impending hostage-taking in a church.

Krasnodar Regional Court The court upheld the sentence of Sergei Novikov, convicted of knowingly making a false report of a terrorist attack. His appeal was dismissed, Kommersant reported on March 14.

Novikov, who last January entered St. Catherine's Cathedral in Krasnodar with a kitchen knife and, while inside, called emergency services, demanding rescuers, journalists, and law enforcement officers, pleaded guilty and requested a mitigated sentence, citing intense emotional distress and fear. The criminal court, however, found no grounds to overturn the trial court's decision.

According to investigators, while inside the cathedral, Novikov stated his intention to take people hostage and "put on a show." When security forces arrived, he threw away the knife and surrendered. The day before the incident, he had a falling out with his relatives, who insisted he go to a rehabilitation center. He left home, wandered around the city for a while, and then showed up at a church.

After his sentence comes into force, Novikov will be transferred to a penal colony to serve his sentence.