Member of the Moscow municipal council Ketevan Kharaidze has been found guilty of extortion and sentenced to 4 years in prison, Sota reports.
Photo: Facebook group in support of Ketevan Kharaidze
Kharaidze was placed in custody in the courtroom. She is also banned from taking official positions for two years and slapped with a fine of 700,000 rubles (€10,600). Ketevan will also have to pay 5 million rubles (€75,000) in a separate lawsuit filed by a construction company representative.
Earlier, the state prosecution asked the court for 6 years in prison for the politician.
The local politician, who previously announced intentions to run in the Russian parliamentary elections, was detained on 18 June 2021. She was charged with fraud after she fought against construction plans in her community in Moscow. The Russian Investigative Committee believes she conspired with Russian citizen Guram Grigoryan to extort 15 million rubles (€225,000) for a construction permit.
Kharaidze was soon sent to a detention centre where she went on a hunger strike.
A month later, she was placed under house arrest instead and banned from using the Internet or any other communication devices.
