MOSCOW, October 14 (RAPSI) – The Moscow City Court will hear an appeal against sentence of lawyer Alexander Vershinin defending several defendants in notorious cases, who has received 2.5 years in penal colony for mediation in bribery, on October 26, RAPSI has learnt from the court’s press service.

Moscow’s Nikulinsky District Court convicted and sentenced Vershinin in late June. In addition to the jail term he was prohibited from legal practice for 3 years.

Another defendant, developer Alexey Dobrynin was found guilty of large-scale fraud and received 3.5 years behind bars.

Investigators claimed the lawyer attempted to take money from his client promising to drop a criminal case against the latter. Vershinin pleaded partially guilty.

The attorney represented the interests of ex-Minister for Open Government affairs Mikhail Abyzov charged with the 4 billion-ruble ($64 million) embezzlement, defended alleged crime boss Oleg Medvedev, known as Oleg Shishkanov, bankers Alexey and Dmitry Ananyev. He also was a defense lawyer for convicted ex-top investigator Mikhail Maksimenko.

Vershinin also defended ex-minister Alexey Ulyukayev during his arrest and represented the interests of ex-policeman Denis Yevsyukov sentenced to life for mass murder.