Four nationals of Tajikistan have been detained in the city of Lgov in Russia’s Kursk oblast face charges of producing, storing, selling goods and products not meeting safety requirements and negligently causing the death of a person (Article 238 (2) of Russia’s Penal Code), the judicial system’s joint press service said in Telegram on September 10.  

For three suspects – shawarma stall owner Mansourshoh Fayozov, 50, Shahriyor Fayozov, 23, and Dilbar Sangova - the court chose a preventive measure in the form of a two-month house arrest.  

The 21-year-old Parviz Alimardonov, whose temporary registration expires on September 17, has reportedly been detained for 1 month and 29 days.  

They were detained by employees of the Investigative Committee on Friday as part of the investigation into the mass shawarma poisoning in Lgov City.  

According to information from the Ministry of Health of the Kursk Oblast, 22 people, including eight children and teens, asked for help.  One of the poisoned – the 23-year-old woman – reportedly died from infectious-toxic shock.

Those convicted could face fine of 100,000 to 500,000 Russian rubles, or forced labor for up to five years, or up to six years in prison.  

Meanwhile, the fast food outlet “Shawarma on Gagarin Street” has operated for about six years and has been one of the most popular in the city.  Locals have said that they make the most delicious shawarma.

Shawarma is a Middle Eastern dish that originated in the Ottoman Empire, consisting of meat cut into thin slices, stacked in an inverted cone, and roasted on a slowly turning vertical rotisserie or spit. Traditionally made with lamb or mutton, it may also be made with chicken, turkey, beef, or veal.  Thin slices are shaved off the cooked surface as it continuously rotates. Shawarma is a popular street food in many former Soviet republics.