Tarkhan Eldukaev was sentenced to a long prison term.

The Moscow Military Court found Chechen native Tarkhan Eldukayev, a former security guard for Telman Ismailov, guilty of the attempted murder of the Gurshumov businessmen and sentenced him to 14.5 years in prison. Eldukayev was fully acquitted of the attempted murder of singer Avraam Russo.

As reported by "Caucasian Knot," according to the jury's verdict, Chechen native Tarkhan Eldukayev is not guilty of the kidnapping of singer Avraam Russo, but was found guilty of aiding and abetting the attempted murder of the Gurshumov businessmen. His case was heard by a military court, as Eldukaev was a serviceman at the time the alleged crimes were committed. The defense argued that the investigation was illegal, as the case file contains no order from the Investigative Committee of Russia to transfer the case to an investigator from the Main Investigative Directorate. Avraam Russo, recognized as a victim, told in court about his kidnapping and attempted murder.

The Moscow Garrison Military Court sentenced Telman Ismailov's former security guard, Tarkhan Eldukayev, accused of the 2006 assassination attempt on singer Avraam Russo and aiding in the attempted murder of the Gurshumov businessmen, to 14.5 years in a general regime penal colony, TASS reported.

"The court sentenced Tarkhan Eldukayev to 14.5 years in a general regime penal colony, reclassified the criminal case under Article 102 of the Criminal Code of the RSFSR (premeditated murder), and partially satisfied Gurshumov's civil claim for 2.5 million rubles," the agency quoted a law enforcement official as saying.

The prosecutor requested a 15-year prison sentence for Eldukaev.

Lawyer Ruslan Zakalyuzhny believes Eldukaev's sentence is excessively harsh and unfair. "We will appeal. Significant personal circumstances and the time of the events, which significantly reduce the public danger, were not taken into account." The lawyer noted that his client was fully acquitted in the incident involving Russo, and Russo's claim was dismissed.

Vladimir Gusakov, Elyar Damirov, and Zaur Mardanov were convicted of Russo's kidnapping and sentenced to six, five, and seven years in prison. They were later released from their sentences due to the expiration of the statute of limitations. Two other defendants, Alexei Tryasnikov and Vitaly Dzhura, were sentenced to 12 and nine years in a maximum-security prison for the attempted murder, which involved shooting at Russo's car with a machine gun. The driver was killed, and the singer himself was wounded. The case against Mikhail Demkin, whom investigators believe to be their accomplice, was dismissed due to his death.

Baku native Telman Ismailov was declared bankrupt in December 2015 and banned from leaving the country for three years. In October 2018, Ismailov, who was on the international wanted list, was charged in absentia with organizing the kidnapping of Avraam Russo.

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