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BERLIN — A Berlin tribunal connected Wednesday convicted a Russian nationalist of the execution of a Georgian national of Chechen ethnicity successful wide daylight successful 2019 and sentenced him to beingness successful prison.
In accordance with prosecutors demands, the tribunal ruled that the crimes of 56-year-old Vadim Krasikow were peculiarly grave, thereby apt preventing an aboriginal merchandise aft 15 years of imprisonment communal successful the German justness system.
Krasikov was convicted of executing Zelimkhan “Tornike” Khangoshvili, with 3 shots connected Aug. 23, 2019 successful the cardinal Berlin parkland Kleiner Tiergarten. Federal prosecutors called it a governmental execution ordered by Russia.
Russia has ever maintained that immoderate accusations of Russian engagement successful the sidesplitting were “absolutely groundless.”
German authorities had concluded backmost successful December 2019 already that Russian agents oregon those linked to them were progressive successful the sidesplitting and expelled 2 Russian diplomats. They said Russian officials had not cooperated successful the probe contempt repeated high-level requests.
The sidesplitting was the latest successful a agelong bid of accusations that Russia assassinates its governmental opponents adjacent erstwhile they are abroad. Britain has accused Moscow of attacking a erstwhile Russian cause turned informant Sergei Skripal successful Salisbury, Britain with a nervus cause successful 2018.
Russian agents were besides believed to beryllium down the poisoning of Alexander Litvinenko successful 2006.
During the existent trial, Khangoshvili’s relatives submitted a connection to the tribunal maintaining that Russia was trying to “send a message” to its governmental enemies with the assassination. The lawyer for the relatives asked that Krasikov beryllium disqualified from parole aft 15 years if helium were to person a beingness sentence.
Opposition figures to Russia-allied Chechen person Ramzan Kadyrov person successful peculiar been targeted by assassins implicit the years. The latest was Mimkhan Umaraov who was gunned down extracurricular a buying halfway successful Austria successful July 2020. A Russian fishy fled the country and was aboriginal arrested.
Others person been attacked successful Europe, Turkey and the Middle East, including erstwhile acting person of Chechnya, Zelimkhan Yandarbiyev, was assassinated successful a car-bomb onslaught successful Doha, the superior of Qatar, successful 2004.
Paul Schemm successful London contributed to this report
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