The Higher Regional Court in Vienna (OLG) has confirmed the sanctions in the Umar Israilov case.

27-year old Chechen refugee Umar Israilov, who was a former bodyguard of Ramzan Kadyrov and had also been tortured by Kadyrov, was murdered in broad daylight in Vienna, Austria in January 2009, as he was leaving a supermarket. He had appealed to the European Court of Human Rights against Russia and Ramzan Kadyrov. After a short while, the Austrian authorities arrested three Kadyrovites, Turpal Ali Yesherkayev (31-years old), Suleiman Dadayev (36-years old), and Otto Kaltenbrunner (Ramzan Edilov; 42-years old). The first trial in the case was opened in November of 2010 and after six and a half months; in June of 2011 the Vienna Criminal Court (Landesgericht für Strafsachen) returned three guilty verdicts. The court imposed life imprisonment on the first defendant, Otto Kaltenbrunner; 19 years in prison for the second defendant, Suleyman Dadayev; and 16 years for the third defendant, Turpal Ali Yesherkayev. The defendants were also ordered to pay damages to the victim’s relatives. Each of them (father, widow and four children) was awarded 25,000 euros. However, it was not a final decision and the defendants appealed to the OLG.

On April 17, Charlotte Habl, the chairman of the appeal body presented their final decision on the case. The high court rejected the appeal and confirmed life imprisonment for Otto Kaltenbrunner, allegedly an intimate associate of Ramzan Kadyrov; 19 years in prison for Suleyman Dadaev; and 16 years for Turpal Ali Yesherkayev.

Israilov’s widow, who is a single mother and is tasked with raising four small children now, sat in the audience. It must be noted that the appeal hearing took place under considerable security measures. There was a heavy police presence and in addition, many other police officers and state guards were present in civilian clothes.

Another Kadyrovite, Lecha Bogatirov, believed to have actually fired the shots that killed Israilov, is still on the run and it is known that he is in the Russian occupied Chechen Republic of Ichkeria. Thus, there has been no trial or conviction for him. According to information which was obtained by the Austrian Prosecutors, he is the protégé of Ramzan Kadyrov and is leading a pro-Russian unit at the moment.

*Text was written by Waynakh Online and edited by Michael Capobianco