Russia Bans Montenegro Official in Dispute Over Fugitive Billionaire

Montenegro Interior Ministry official Zoran Miljanic at a press conference. Photo. Government of Montenegro

The Russian ministry sent a note to the embassy of Montenegro in Moscow, saying that entry was prohibited to the State Secretary of the Montenegrin Interior Ministry.

"This measure is a response to the one taken in October 2021. when Montenegrin authorities took an unfriendly step - granting political asylum to a citizen of the Russian Federation Telman Ismailov, declared by Interpol to be on the international wanted list for committing particularly serious crimes in the territory of Russia," the Russian Ministry said in a press release.

On October 22, 2021, Montenegro gave political asylum to the Azerbaijan-born billionaire, who is on a Russian-issued international arrest warrant for allegedly ordering contract murders.

Ismailov was arrested in Montenegro's capital, Podgorica, on October 1, 2021, but his lawyer Milos Vuksanovic said that on September 8 he had applied to the Montenegrin Interior Ministry for political asylum, and should not be extradited until a decision is made.

The Russian arrest warrant, from 2017, charges Ismailov with being involved in a double homicide. He could face life imprisonment if convicted. The case is reportedly connected with the 2016 murder of the businessman Vladimir Savkin and the founder of Lublino-Motors auto-service centre, Yury Brylev.

The tycoon's brother, Rafik Ismailov, and another suspect, Mekhman Kerimov, are also accused of being involved in the double homicide. Kerimov has already pleaded guilty.

While Montenegro has not explained why it gave political asylum to Ismalov, media reported that it gave him protection due to the known existence of persecution in Russia based...