Former Governor of Russia’s Khabarovsk region (Russia’s Far East) Sergey Furgal has been sentenced to 22 years behind bars in a high-security prison for organising assassinations of business competitors in 2004-2005, a Novaya Gazeta Europe correspondent reports from the courtroom.
The state prosecution wanted 23 years for Furgal.
Moreover, the court fined Furgal 529,000 rubles (€6,800). Andrey Karepov, the ex-governor’s assistant, was sent to prison for 21 years.
Two other defendants in the case, Andrey Paley and Marat Kadyrov, were sentenced to 17 and 9,5 years behind bars respectively. None of the men pleaded guilty.
On 2 February, a jury trial found Furgal guilty.
During one of the hearings, the former governor said that the defence team applied for 100 witnesses to appear before court, while only two were actually heard. The others were not allowed to take part in the trial. Moreover, Furgal noted that the investigation had hidden all evidence and proof.
“Being in a position elected by people, I could have possibly told you, honourable jury members, that tens of thousands of people vouch for me, so-and-so many people voted for me. But I do not say that! Don’t trust me or prosecutors, trust the facts,” he addressed the jury ahead of the verdict.
Furgal was placed in a Moscow detention centre in July 2020 and stood accused of organising assassinations of businessmen. In October 2021, two more criminal cases were opened against Furgal on charges of fraud and setting up an organised crime group. Khabarovsk held mass rallies in support of the ex-governor in 2020 and 2021.
