News

Probe into kidnapping of pop singer Avraam Russo in 2004 finished

The Main Directorate on Major Crimes Investigation of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation completed the investigation into Zaur Mardanov and Vladimir Gusakov accused of committing of an offence under Paragraphs A and C of Part 2 of Article 126 of the Criminal Code of Russia (kidnapping).

The investigation established that, in January 2004, under a preliminary conspiracy and a false pretence Telman Ismailov provided for the pop singer’s arriving to Prague restaurant in Moscow, following which he accompanied the singer to his office on the second floor of the restaurant where he was keeping Russo against his will and beating him together with other perpetrators. After that, Ismailov demanded from Avraam Russo to cancel all his shows and sign an agreement with him to manage Russo’s artistic activities on his terms.

Having suppressed the singer’s will to fight, the accused put him to the back seat of a car against his wishes and moved him to Ismailov’s house in Moscow Region where they kept him for over a day, until he agreed to all Ismailov’s terms.

The investigation collected enough evidence for the case to be sent to the Public Prosecution Service of the Russian Federation to approve an indictment.

The investigation into other accomplices of said offence is to be presented separately for it continues, and Telman Ismailov and others are searched for internationally.