The Ust-Labinsk court of the Krasnodar Territory decided to release thief in law Zakhary Kalashov, nicknamed Shakro Molodoy, for health reasons, who was sentenced to almost ten years in prison in 2018, his lawyer Tengiz Papaskua told Kommersant.
According to Papascua, several years ago Kalashov showed signs of a serious illness. “If medical measures had been taken at an early stage, it might have been possible to avoid serious consequences, but now the situation has reached such a stage that the administration of the institution itself filed a petition with the court for the release of Kalashov within the framework of Article 81 of the Criminal Code,” explained the lawyer.
Initially, TASS, citing the press service of the court, erroneously reported that Kalashov had received parole. Article 81 of the Criminal Code, unlike parole, does not provide for any control measures over convicts who are released — that is, Kalashov will not need to register with the penal inspection or the police and comply with other restrictions.
The court hearing took place today, it was held behind closed doors. Telegram channels “112” and Shot wrote that the reason for the release was the poor health of 70-year-old Kalashov. He repeatedly asked for release due to illness. Papaskua told Kommersant that his client was “so bad” that he was not taken to court — he participated in the hearing via video link.
The “thief in law” is in IK-2 in the village of Dvubratsky Ust- Labinsky district, Krasnodar region. The exact date of his release is unknown. The prosecutor's office has 15 days to appeal the court decision before it comes into force.
Kalashov was sentenced to nine years and 10 months in prison in March 2018. He was found guilty of extortion on an especially large scale committed by an organized group (points “a”, “b” of Part 3 of Article 163 of the Criminal Code). It was also about the extortion of 8 million rubles from the owner of the Elements restaurant, Zhanna Kim.
In the indictment, Kalashov was called “the leader of the Russian criminal world” and the head of a multi-level criminal structure that was engaged in extortion and raiding.
In December 2015, at Elements in Moscow, a shootout took place between Shakro's associates, representing designer Fatima Misikova, and Kim's supporters, represented by lawyer and former KGB officer Eduard Budantsev. As a result of the shootout, in which ten people took part, five people were injured, and later two died in the hospital.
In addition, Kalashov and his accomplices extorted 10 million rubles from the general director of Nordneftegaz, Lev Garamov, a businessman for several months received threats, and then was beaten.
Several security officials were convicted because of bribes received from Kalashov. In March 2020, the Moscow City Court sentenced the head of the Investigative Committee's own security department, Mikhail Maksimenko, to 14 years in prison and a fine of 250 million rubles. Also, the head of the Investigative Committee for Moscow Alexander Drymanov, the head of the Investigative Committee for the Central Administrative District Alexey Kramarenko, Kramarenko’s deputy Alexander Lamonov and the first deputy head of the Moscow Investigative Committee Denis Nikandrov received real sentences.
The Ust-Labinsk court is known for considering the claims of businessman Oleg Deripaska, in In particular, there he sued Mediazona. Most decisions are made in his favor. The entrepreneur graduated from high school in Ust-Labinsk, Komsomolskaya Pravda wrote. Vedomosti wrote in 2016 that Deripaska continues to pay taxes in the Krasnodar region — half of them go to the budget of Ust-Labinsk.
Updated at 23:58. A lawyer’s comment has been added that Kalashov was released for health reasons, and therefore the title has been changed. Initially, TASS reported that Shakro would be released from prison on parole.