In a decision issued by the Bezhetsk court, Alexander Shestun, the former head of the Serpukhov district in the Moscow region, was found guilty of assaulting a Federal Penitentiary Service employee and received an additional two years in prison. The sentence raises his total term to 17 years in a maximum security penal colony. He is serving this sentence in IK-6, located in the town of Bezhetsk in the Tver region, and the ruling follows a lengthy legal process that has drawn national attention.
Previously, the former regional leader faced charges of large-scale fraud, money laundering, illegal business activities and accepting bribes on a particularly large scale. He did not admit guilt and described the case as politically motivated, saying he was targeted because of his intention to run for the district chairmanship again. After his arrest in the summer of 2018, he released a video message to President Vladimir Putin in which he complained about threats from government officials.
At the December 2020 trial the court sentenced him to 15 years in a maximum security colony. On February 20, 2021 the Moscow District Court accepted the sentence as lawful, meaning the appeal did not overturn the verdict.
During the hearing Shestun argued that the prosecution had not presented any direct or indirect evidence of guilt. He also claimed that during his time in IK-6 he faced harsh treatment and alleged torture.
The case centers on charges of large scale fraud, money laundering, illegal business activity and accepting bribes. The proceedings have underscored concerns about corruption cases involving high profile figures in the Moscow region and the role of the judiciary in addressing them.