Billionaire Ibrahim Suleymanov, considered one of Russia's most secretive and influential oligarchs, has been detained.
According to information from Modern.az, citing Russian media, Suleymanov was apprehended by the Moscow Criminal Investigation Department (MUR) on the night of October 2.
He is being charged under Article 105 of the Russian Criminal Code (premeditated murder). The investigation is preparing to apply to the court for his pre-trial detention.
Ibrahim Suleymanov was born in 1967 in the village of Rutul, Rutul district, Dagestan. For many years, he has been known as a member of the shadow business elite and has significant influence over “Sirrena-Travel” (the state reservation system for airline tickets).
Russian media particularly emphasize his criminal past. Suleymanov was previously convicted on charges of fraud worth billions and money laundering, and also faced responsibility under the article for illegal possession of weapons. In 2007, the court sentenced him to 10 years and 8 months in prison, but he was released early in 2015.
He is the son-in-law of Platon Lebedev (Khodorkovsky's former partner, a figure in the “YUKOS case”). His son, Rasul Suleymanov, is listed in official documents as a shareholder of “Sirrena-Travel” and several other large companies. However, Russian media claim that the true beneficiary of these assets is Ibrahim Suleymanov.
It is reported that through his family, he controls both offshore companies and strategic IT infrastructure.
His name is also associated with a number of scandalous incidents: major financial machinations in aviation consortiums in the 2000s, illegal possession of weapons, racketeering and asset seizure, as well as suspicions regarding the murder of trade union leader Gennady Borisov (Borisov was killed with 25 knife wounds) are voiced.
Currently, the investigation into a new criminal case against him is ongoing.
