Осужденный в России на 2,5 года колонии за провоз мармелада с тетрагидроканнабинолом (ТГК) гражданин Индии, топ-менеджер The Walt Disney Company Датерао Джугал Судхир обратился из московского СИЗО с письмом к редакции RTVI, которое передал через своего общественного защитника Балтазара Шальденбранда. Письмо датировано 12 июня 2026 года. Судхир попросил опубликовать его историю на английском языке, «чтобы первоначальный смысл слов не был искажен автоматическим переводом».
Текст письма на английском языке:
To the Editor-in-Chief of RTVI Mr. Vladimir Gusev
From: Daterao Jugal Sudhir
My name is Daterao Jugal Sudhir, a citizen of the Republic of India. I am writing this letter from a detention center in Moscow.
I respectfully ask RTVI to publish my true story in English so that the original meaning of my words is not distorted by automatic translation from English to Russian.
I decided to travel to Russia to experience its beauty, culture and history, which many of my friends who had previously visited the country had spoken highly of. The biggest country in the world.
I traveled from the United States, while five of my friends traveled from India to join me for this journey. We had booked a comprehensive overland tour package through Adventure Overland and planned to explore Russia by car, traveling across the country and visiting multiple cities and regions.
All arrangements for the trip had been carefully made in advance. Our vehicles were booked, hotels had been reserved in every city on our itinerary, and the entire route had been meticulously planned. We were all extremely excited about this unique adventure and looked forward to discovering the beauty and hospitality of Russia together.
Unfortunately, due to the circumstances that followed my arrival at Sheremetyevo International Airport, our long-awaited journey came to an abrupt end before it could even begin.
By a tragic coincidence, I brought with me a package of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) infused marmalade gummies that are legally sold in pharmacies in the United States and had been prescribed to me by my physician for sleeping difficulties and migraines. The package contained only five gummies. THC was one of the ingredients in these gummies, as they are made for medical purposes to help patients with sleeping from migraines and sleeping problems.
The total weight of THC in gummies was 0.05 gramm. I was not aware that such products are prohibited in Russia.
While passing through customs control at the airport, customs officers asked to inspect my luggage, where they found the package of gummies. As I was not intending to hide or conceal these gummies, they were in same package sold by the pharmacy. The label clearly stated that the product contains THC. I was immediately arrested and taken into custody.
The amount of THC involved—0.0527 grams contained within the gummies—was classified under Article 229.1, Part 2, Paragraph “V” of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation as a significant amount. From the perspective of many residents of the United States, Canada and some of the European countries, however, this is an extremely small amount contained in a confectionery product (less than 0.1 gramm) that many USA residents use to help manage sleeping difficulties and migraines.
I fully admitted my guilt and sincerely repented. I had no intention whatsoever of violating Russian law and was genuinely unaware of the strict regulations concerning THC containing products in Russia. If I had known about strict regulations, I could have purchased legal alternative in Russia, as I suffer from sleeping difficulties and severe migraines.
I would also like to emphasize that I never intended to distribute, sell or transfer these gummies to anyone. They were solely for my personal use and had been legally purchased and prescribed to me by my doctor.
From the moment of my detention, I fully cooperated with the authorities, admitted my mistake, and accepted responsibility for my actions. This incident was the result of my ignorance of Russian law, not any criminal intent.
I have already publicly apologized to Russian society. I would also like to express my gratitude to Judge Anna Sotnikova for imposing a fair and humane sentence that much lower than the punishment requested by the state prosecutor.
At the same time, I intend to ask the appellate court to further reduce my sentence. So I can go to take care of my old parents and my daughter, who are completely dependent on my income.
I believe that the traditional spiritual and cultural values shared by India and Russia should also be taken into consideration. India and Russia both value family traditions and recognize marriage as a union between a man and a woman, who take care of old partners and upbring of children.
India and Russia are nations with ancient cultures and rich histories, and our countries have long maintained a close friendship, even during the ongoing war.
I also hope that my case will serve as a warning to tourists planning to visit Russia. Everyone should understand that in Russia, attempting to bring even THC gummies that may be considered harmless elsewhere can result in a lengthy prison sentence.
Despite my current circumstances, I continue to hold deep respect for the Russian people, Russian culture, and the Russian legal system.
I deeply regret my mistake and the consequences that followed. Every day, I think about my family, my friends, and the life I left behind. I hope that soon I will have the opportunity to return home, reunite with my loved ones, and rebuild my life after this difficult experience.
I respectfully ask the Moscow Regional Court for mercy. I ask that my sincere remorse, my cooperation with the authorities, the absence of any criminal intent, prescription from my doctor and the very small quantity be taken into consideration.
With the highest respect,
Daterao Jugal Sudhir
Citizen of the Republic of India
12/06/26
Датерао Джугал Судхир прилетел в Москву в январе 2026 года рейсом из Катара, куда добирался из США. В «зеленом коридоре» Шереметьево его остановили для досмотра и обнаружили в багаже мармелад с ТГК. Дело по статьям 228 ч.1 и 229.1 ч.2 п.«в» УК РФ поступило в Химкинский городской суд 27 февраля 2026 года. Обвинение запрашивало 6,5 года колонии и штраф в 500 тыс. руб.
Судья Анна Сотникова применила статью 64 УК РФ, позволяющую назначить наказание ниже низшего предела, и 26 мая приговорила индийца к 2 годам и 6 месяцам колонии и штрафу в 30 тыс. руб. Суд учел полное признание вины, раскаяние, семейное положение, рецепт американского врача и отсутствие отягчающих обстоятельств. Анна Сотникова уже вела громкие дела иностранцев о наркотиках: в 2022 году она приговорила американскую баскетболистку Бриттни Грайнер к девяти годам колонии из-за вейпа с гашишным маслом, обнаруженного в Шереметьево. В декабре того же года Грайнер вернулась в США в рамках обмена на россиянина Виктора Бута. Приговор пока не вступил в силу, подана апелляция.
Судхир публично обратился к Московскому областному суду с просьбой о снисхождении. Он попросил учесть свое раскаяние, содействие следствию, отсутствие умысла, наличие предписаний врача, а также небольшое количество изъятого вещества.