MOSCOW, July 20 (RAPSI) - Human rights campaigner Lyudmila Alexeyeva, 90, has asked Russian President Vladimir Putin to pardon former senator Igor Izmestyev sentenced to life in prison, the Kremlin's website announced on Thursday.

Putin promised Alexeyeva to think over her request, the statement reads.

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

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

He 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.

In December 2010, the Moscow City Court sentenced Izmestyev to life in prison for organizing terrorist attacks and murders.