The key facts

  • The verdict in Abyzov's second case will be announced on November 11 at 2:00 PM
  • The prosecution requested 15 years of imprisonment and a fine of 90 million rubles
  • The ex-minister has already been sentenced to 12 years in a strict-regime colony

Sentencing date

The Tagansky District Court of Moscow will announce the verdict for former Minister for Open Government Affairs Mikhail Abyzov in his second criminal case on November 11 at 2:00 PM. According to TASS citing a court publication, the judge has retired to the deliberation room to draft the verdict (Gazeta.Ru).

The charges and the parties' positions

The ex-minister is charged with fraud on an especially large scale (Part 4, Article 159 of the Russian Criminal Code) in connection with manipulations involving shares of the Russian Venture Company. Abyzov does not admit his guilt. During closing arguments, the state prosecution requested 15 years of imprisonment, a fine of 90 million rubles, and a three-year ban on holding positions with organizational, administrative, and economic functions in government bodies; the defense insisted on a full acquittal.

Context: this is already the second case

This is not the first criminal case against the former official: earlier he was sentenced to 12 years in a strict-regime colony for creating a criminal community and a number of other crimes. Thus, the decision to be announced on November 11 will determine an additional punishment on top of the existing sentence — the final outcome will depend on how the court credits or combines the penalties from the two cases.