Belousov Bribery Verdict and Parliamentary Immunity Debate

The Moscow City Court convicted Vadim Belousov, a deputy from the Just Russia – Patriots – For Truth party, of taking bribes exceeding 3 billion rubles and sentenced him to a decade in a strict regime colony. He was also fined 500 million rubles, stripped of the medal For Services to the Fatherland, and barred from holding organizational or administrative positions for three years.

The judge stated that Belousov acted in accordance with Part 6 of Article 290 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation, which covers taking a bribe on a particularly large scale by an organized group. The court ordered ten years imprisonment in a strict regime and a 500 million ruble fine as additional penalties.

Margarita Butakova, the wife of the person initially cited and former chief accountant of Chelyabinsk First Bakery, received five years of probation and a 500 million ruble fine for four years. The court considered her age, health problems, and mental state in concluding this decision.

The court also ordered the recovery of 3.25 billion rubles in bribes from Belousov and Butakova combined.

Belousov is to serve his sentence in a strict regime. The judge had contemplated detaining the deputy in the courtroom, but this could not be done because Belousov did not appear, with his lawyer attributing the absence to his client’s work commitments and pre-scheduled study meetings.

Earlier, Belousov provided a written commitment not to leave the country. In 2019 a court in Yekaterinburg found no grounds to arrest the politician.

The defense indicated it would appeal the verdict, while the state prosecutor’s office voiced satisfaction with the decision. Prosecutor Yekaterina Frolova asserted that the Moscow City Court correctly described the defendants’ actions and imposed appropriate penalties.

Is it permissible to prosecute a member of parliament? After announcing the verdict, the judge noted that a deputy could be placed on a wanted list if warranted by the circumstances, adding that bailiffs would act accordingly if Belousov evaded punishment for a truly disrespectful reason.

According to the judge, detaining Belousov did not require permission from the State Duma. Belousov’s lawyer, Lyudmila Aivar, contends that arrest is possible only after consideration by the Duma. Aivar argued that articles within the Criminal Procedure Code allow for preventive measures such as house arrest for deputies and senators with consent, suggesting this should come from the Federation Council or the State Duma.

The head of the right-wing faction, Sergei Mironov, emphasized that the case reached court without the Duma’s consent and argued this violated federal law governing the status of senators and deputies. Mironov also questioned the fairness of law enforcement actions and raised doubts about the charges’ validity.

Belousov became a State Duma deputy in 2021. Mironov noted that removing parliamentary immunity should have included mandatory notification to the State Duma and required consent, which he claimed did not occur.

Bribery allegations link Belousov to his early career as a co-owner and board member of Makfa JSC, and to a partner who owned Makfa, now part of a holding. He also stood as chairman of the board of First Bakery.

Case records show that from May 2010 to January 2014, Belousov and his associate Yurevich allegedly received more than 3.2 billion rubles from a road-construction holding through patronage arrangements that aided anti-competitive conditions. In Chelyabinsk, Belousov’s mother-in-law was involved in receiving the money, while in Moscow the cash was stored in a secure safe. Roughly 10 million rubles moved monthly, culminating in a total bribe of about 3.25 billion rubles for Belousov over several years.

Belousov was elected to the State Duma’s seventh convocation in September 2016 on the Just Russia list. Immunity was lifted in 2018, clearing the way for criminal proceedings, yet in September 2021 he was re-elected to the State Duma on the Just Russia – For Truth slate.

Bribery case explained

Belousov’s history includes tenure as a co-owner and board member of Makfa JSC and involvement with a former partner who owned First Bakery. The case details indicate that from 2010 through 2014, Belousov, together with Yurevich, accepted more than 3.2 billion rubles from a road-construction holding in return for patronage and ensuring lack of competition.

In Chelyabinsk, the money moved through Belousov’s family connections, while the Moscow installment was stored in a safe. Over time, Belousov accumulated a total of 3.25 billion rubles in bribes. His political career continued with a 2016 election to the State Duma while immunity remained in effect until 2018, after which the case progressed through the legal system and culminated in the new verdict in 2024. From there, his trajectory in national politics continued alongside ongoing scrutiny of the bribery matter.