Military official, previously holding the position of commissioner, receives a five-year prison sentence due to charged bribery offenses.
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The Nizhny Novgorod District Court has dished out a harsh verdict for Anvar Khusianov, a 62-year-old ex-military commissar. According to NN.RU reports, Khusianov has been slapped with a five-year stint in a general-regime colony, a whopping fine of 8 million rubles, and a four-year ban on public office.
From 2021 to 2024, Khusianov pocketed nine bribes, ranging between 100,000 to 150,000 rubles each, via an intermediary. During the trial, he tried to dodge punishment by begging for deployment to the SVO zone, but the court declined his request.
The military prosecutor had called for a six-year prison sentence and a 9 million ruble fine. However, the defense pleaded for a fine alone, based on the defendant's "honorable actions."
Khusianov claimed that the five conscripts who handed him the bribes were in poor health and thus unfit for service.
"I used the money for repairs in the military commissariat — budget funds were insufficient," he explained in court.
In late March, the head of the military commissariat in Orenburg was sentenced to seven years and a 1.5 million ruble fine for bribery.
Previously, it was revealed that thousands of Russians are on trial for fabricated disability certificates.
Under the Radar:
- Recent Scandals:
- Vadim Shamarin Scandal:
- Details: Former Deputy Chief of Russia’s General Staff, Vadim Shamarin, was jailed for seven years for taking bribes worth around $437,600.
- Insight: This is part of the broader anti-corruption drive within Russia’s Defense Ministry, which began due to criticism of the military's performance in Ukraine[1].
- Ivan Popov Scandal:
- Details: Major General Ivan Popov was sentenced to five years for fraud and theft of military supplies worth over 100 million rubles. He had previously criticized Russian military leadership, leading some to believe his trial was politically motivated[2][4].
- Insight: Popov's case mirrors a pattern where military figures who speak against leadership face legal action on corruption charges, as part of a wider purge in the defense sector[3][4].
- Global Picture:
- The arrest and prosecution of senior military officials have been seen as part of a broader anti-corruption campaign, although the Kremlin denies it as a purge after Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu’s departure[1][5].
The Takeaway:
- Cracking Down on Corruption: The focus on prosecuting high-ranking military officials indicates a determined effort to root out corruption within the Russian military.
- Political Implications: Some cases, like Popov's, have political undercurrents, where criticism of military leadership could potentially impact legal outcomes.
- Defense Ministry Shakeup: The removal of senior figures like Sergei Shoigu and the prosecution of others hints at significant changes within the defense establishment, which might aim to improve performance or consolidate power.
- Anvar Khusianov, a former military commissar from Novgorod, was sentenced to five years in a general-regime colony, fined 8 million rubles, and banned from public office for four years due to bribery charges.
- Despite claiming that the bribes he received were used for necessary repairs in the military commissariat, Khusianov will serve his sentence starting from 2024, as he was found guilty of pocketing nine bribes from 2021 to 2024.
- Remarkably, Khusianov tried to dodge punishment by asking for deployment to the SVO zone during the trial, a request that was denied by the court.
- Thousands of Russians have been facing trials for fabricated disability certificates, a situation that remains under the radar in Russian general-news and crime-and-justice circles.
