The defense will appeal the verdict of Zhirnokleev, the leader of the Taganskaya organized crime group.

The verdict handed down to Igor Zhirnokleev, the leader of the Taganskaya organized criminal group (OCG), will be appealed. Mark Kaverzin, the convict's lawyer, told Izvestia on May 12.

"We consider it necessary to appeal this verdict, both taking into account its severity, <...> and taking into account the fact that, in principle, some more episodes could have been stopped due to the expiration of the statute of limitations," Kaverzin said.

According to the lawyer, after receiving the minutes of the court session, not only the term of the sentence will be appealed, but also a number of procedural violations that, in his opinion, were committed.

Tagansky Theater: leaders of Moscow's oldest organized crime group were asked for 25-year terms

The defendants called on the court to acquit them and congratulated them on Easter.

On May 12, the court sentenced Zhirnokleev to 25 years in a penal colony. It is specified that he will serve 12 years in a high-security penal colony. In addition, he must pay a fine of 4 million rubles.

Depending on their role in the organized crime group, the defendants were found guilty of creating and participating in an armed gang and criminal community, murder, kidnapping, theft, robbery, extortion and illegal arms trafficking. According to investigators, the group was established in the early 1990s, and its activities were suppressed in 2019, when active members of the community were detained and arrested.