The Russian Foreign Ministry announced the closure of entry into Russia to the State Secretary of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Montenegro, Zoran Milyanich. This was a response to the fact that Montenegro granted political asylum to businessman Telman Ismailov. He is known as the former owner of the Cherkizovsky market in Moscow, and was once among the top 200 richest businessmen in Russia. Now he is on the international wanted list, in his homeland he is suspected of organizing two murders. The Russian Foreign Ministry informed the Montenegrin side about the closure of the entrance to Milyanich on February 2.

“This measure is a response to the unfriendly step taken by the Montenegrin authorities in October 2021 – granting political asylum to a citizen of the Russian Federation T.M. Ismailov,” the Foreign Ministry explained.

The agency stressed that Ismailov is on the international wanted list for committing particularly serious crimes in Russia.

He lived in the capital of Montenegro and did not hide from anyone

The businessman received political asylum in Montenegro in October 2021. Prior to that, he lived freely in the country for about three years. Ismailov rented a mansion in the center of the Montenegrin capital Podgorica, a short drive from the building of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Montenegro. The local authorities knew that he was in the country, because he was not hiding from anyone. However, nothing was done, although the businessman was wanted by Interpol all this time. Kommersant suggested that this was due to Ismailov's personal connections with some Montenegrin officials.

In early October last year, Ismailov was nevertheless detained in Montenegro on the basis of a Russian warrant. A few days before that, he managed to ask for political asylum. At the end of October, the Montenegrin authorities agreed to grant asylum to the businessman and refused to extradite him to Russia, Ismailov was released from custody. The Prosecutor General's Office of the Russian Federation asked Montenegro to cancel the decision to grant asylum.

The chairman of the security and defense committee of the Parliament of Montenegro, Milan Knezevic, then said that granting asylum to Ismailov would be "advertising for all criminal fugitives." In her opinion, the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the court of Montenegro, which made the relevant decision, were pressured by "various parties of influence."

“The status of Montenegro as a “paradise for criminals on the run” was further confirmed by this case,” concluded Knezevic.

Marina Rusakova, Ismailov's lawyer, said that her client plans to continue living in Montenegro after his release.

Cherkizon owner, bankrupt, organizer of murders. What Ismailov is known for

Russian businessman of Azerbaijani origin Telman Ismailov made a fortune on the Cherkizovsky market in Moscow, popularly known as Cherkizon. This clothing market grew up near a sports complex in the east of Moscow in the early 90s and was one of the largest in Russia. It occupied more than 200 hectares, thousands of migrants worked on it, including illegal immigrants. Smuggling flourished in the market, there were constant showdowns between competing merchants, and sanitary and fire regulations were often violated. After several years of fighting the outlet, the authorities were able to close Cherkizon in 2009.

Ismailov's company and its subsidiaries owned significant parts of Cherkizon. In 2007, Ismailov estimated the turnover of his market share at 250 million rubles a month. The popularity of the Cherkizovsky market allowed the businessman to accumulate impressive capital, which he did not hesitate to demonstrate. So, in 2006, such Russian stars as Philip Kirkorov, Alla Pugacheva and Iosif Kobzon walked at Ismailov's anniversary. Jennifer Lopez even performed at the celebration, to whom Ismailov presented a microphone made of gold. The businessmanaged to build a luxurious Mardan Palace hotel in Antalya, Turkey, for $1.4 billion. Many celebrities also appeared at the opening of the hotel, including Monica Bellucci, Paris Hilton and Sharon Stowe.

At one time, Ismailov was in the top 200 richest businessmen in Russia according to the Forbes magazine rating. In 2007, he was on the 76th line with a fortune of $ 620 million, at the most successful time for a businessman, this amount reached $ 1 billion.

"Cherkizon" was closed at the peak of the growth of Ismailov's fortune. After that, his business went badly, the entrepreneur accumulated debts and did not have time to pay them off. In 2015, a Russian court declared the businessman bankrupt. He had to sell his assets, including a luxurious Turkish hotel.

Two years later, the ex-billionaire was put on the international wanted list. According to the investigation, Ismailov and his brothers organized the murder of competitors: the owner of Stroy Market shopping malls, Vladimir Savkin, and the founder of Lyublino-Motors, Yuri Brylev. Both in 2016 were shot in the suburbs by the killer Mehman Kerimov. The killer was detained, he is serving 17 years in a strict regime colony. Ismailov is also accused of arms trafficking.

The businessman himself denies all allegations.“Today my grandchildren are told that your grandfather is a murderer. Who will like it? I have not committed a single crime in my life,” he claims.

The businessman's defense believes that the witnesses against him in the murder case slandered the businessman in exchange for mitigating their own punishment. According to his lawyer, the evidence base is built on the assumptions or testimonies of persons who, "wishing to avoid a life sentence, said everything they wanted from them." In particular, the killer Kerimov himself testified against Ismailov.

Ismailov managed to leave Russia before he was charged. In 2017, a Russian court arrested him in absentia on suspicion of organizing the murders. Since then, he has been on the international wanted list.

bbabo.Net