MOSCOW, March 3 (RAPSI) – A court in Vienna released Aslan Gagiyev, an alleged leader of Russia's organized-crime syndicate that is suspected of being involved in multiple murders, after paying bail of 100,000 euros, Kommersant newspaper reported on Thursday.
Earlier, press-secretary of Vienna Regional Court for Criminal Matters told the newspaper that Austrian authorities granted permission for Gagiyev’s extradition to Bulgaria where he is charged in absentia with documents’ forgery.
Austria is yet to review Russian extradition request for the second time. In the summer of 2015 extradition request was granted by the Austrian court, but later it was appealed by Gagiyev.
Bulgarian request has been appealed as well, according to Kommersant.
Russian investigators claim that Georgian-born Aslan Gagiyev’s gang has been operating since 2004 and includes over 50 members.
Members of the gang committed more than 40 counts of murder in Moscow and North Ossetia. Some of them have already been convicted and are serving long prison terms. Over ten of them have been arrested, and an additional thirteen suspects are wanted by Interpol and federal law enforcement agencies.
Three more members, including the gang’s leader Aslan Gagiyev were arrested in other foreign states and are to be extradited.
Gagiyev who was arrested in Austria in January 2015 faces life sentence in Russia.