Former Russian State Duma Deputy Sentenced for Organizing Triple Murder in Cyprus

The Primorsky District Court of St. Petersburg has convicted former State Duma deputy Mikhail Glushchenko for organizing a triple murder that took place in Cyprus in 2004.

According to the Unified Press Service of St. Petersburg Courts, the prosecution requested a sentence of 24.5 years in a high-security penal colony, along with a fine of 300,000 rubles. Glushchenko, however, maintained his innocence throughout the trial.

The case was heard with a jury, which unanimously found the former deputy guilty and deemed him undeserving of any leniency. As a result, Glushchenko was sentenced to 18 years in prison for this crime. However, when combined with sentences for his prior convictions, his total punishment amounts to 24 years in a high-security penal colony, along with a fine of 300,000 rubles. Additionally, the court granted civil lawsuits filed by the victims' families, awarding moral damages totaling 8 million rubles.

The case dates back to the early 2000s. According to Interfax, Glushchenko had promised two entrepreneur brothers that, for $50,000, he would provide protection for their business and shield them from criminal gangs.

However, when one of the brothers decided to end the arrangement, Glushchenko allegedly demanded $10 million or shares in the company OJSC "Metropol." When the businessman refused to comply, investigators say Glushchenko orchestrated the murder of his brother.

The crime occurred in March 2004 at the entrepreneur’s home in Cyprus. The victims included the homeowner, his business partner Yuri Zorin, and their interpreter Viktoria Tretyakova.

This is not Glushchenko’s first conviction. He is already serving a sentence for his involvement in other crimes, including the high-profile murder of State Duma deputy Galina Starovoitova in November 1998. In 2015, the Oktyabrsky District Court in St. Petersburg sentenced him to 17 years in a high-security penal colony for that crime.

Glushchenko served as a deputy in the second State Duma from 1995 to 1999, representing the Liberal Democratic Party of Russia (LDPR). During his tenure, he worked on the Committees for Defense and Geopolitics. Despite several attempts to secure parole, all of his motions have been rejected by the courts.