MOSCOW, September 30 (RAPSI) - Swiss authorities have granted a request filed by Russia seeking to recover assets owned by former senator Igor Izmestyev, spokesperson for the Russian Prosecutor General’s Office Marina Gridnyova said on Tuesday.

Up to 200,000 Swiss francs (about $209,000) were transferred to the bailiff's deposit account, Gridnyova said.

Izmestyev, former senator of Bashkortostan, was arrested in January 2007.

Investigators claimed that in 1992 Izmestyev with 12 other people organized a criminal gang that committed over 20 serious crimes, including 12 murders.

Izmestyev was suspected of involvement in the attempted murder of Ural Rakhimov, a son of former President of Russia's republic of Bashkortostan Murtaza Rakhimov and former CEO of oil company Bashneft.

The Moscow City Court in 2010 sentenced Izmestyev to a life prison term for organizing terrorist attacks and murders.

The Swiss assets owned by Izmestyev would be distributed to aggrieved persons, Gridnyova said.