Moscow City Court sentenced the organizer of Yaponchik's murder to 21 years in prison in absentia

Moscow City Court has sentenced Ilya Simonia to 21 years in absentia for organizing the murder of criminal authority Vyacheslav Ivankov (Yaponchik). This follows from the court verdict of January 15.

Simonia was found guilty of organizing murder by prior conspiracy, by an organized group or for hire, coupled with robbery, extortion or banditry.

"Simonia was sentenced to 21 years of imprisonment with serving his sentence in a strict regime penal colony," the website of the Russian Prosecutor General's Office said.

It is established that in April 2009, Simonia organized the murder of Ivankov for the sake of redistribution of spheres of influence in the criminal community. For this purpose he attracted Astamur Butba, Kakha Gazzaev, Dzhambulu Janashia, Murtazi Shadania and Nugzar Papava. They set up surveillance on Yaponchik, and on Simonia's instructions, Butba shot Yaponchik as he was leaving the Thai Elephant restaurant, RIA Novosti adds.

Butba, Papava and Simonia were arrested in absentia, they are internationally wanted, Janashia was sentenced to 15 years in a strict regime colony, Shadania - to 16 years, Gazzayev - 14 years.

Earlier, on September 19, 2024, Moscow City Court sentenced Butba in absentia to 19 years in a strict regime penal colony. Before that, in September 2023, the court sentenced Papava in absentia to 16 years in prison.