Severskie gang: lengthy sentences largely upheld on appeal
A Russian appeal court upheld three gang members’ convictions. Only Vitaly Kolesnikov received a one-month reduction.
A Russian appeal court largely upheld the convictions of Vitaly Kolesnikov, Alexey Volkov and Dmitry Rysev after hearings ending on 15 September. Kommersant reported the decision on 20 September. Their jury convictions concerned, among other offences, seven killings, eleven attempted killings, extortion and weapons crimes.
Kolesnikov’s sentence fell to 24 years and eleven months after one weapons-related count was removed. Volkov and Rysev retained terms of fourteen years and six months and fourteen years respectively. The defence denied the crimes and alleged influence on the jury. The Severskie group was linked to violent control over businesses in Sergiev Posad.









































