Former MP Gadzhiev* sentenced to life imprisonment in absentia

The Supreme Court of Dagestan sentenced former State Duma deputy Magomed Gadzhiev* in absentia to life imprisonment. His brother, Akhmed Gadzhiev, was also sentenced in absentia to 10 years in prison.

As reported by "Caucasian Knot," in November 2025, a court in Makhachkala upheld the Prosecutor General's Office's claim to seize the real estate and other assets of former State Duma deputy Magomed Gadzhiev*, totaling over 2 billion rubles. The court also agreed to recognize Gadzhiev's* family as an extremist organization.

Magomed Gadzhiev* – Major General of the Tax Service, former Deputy Head of the Tax Inspectorate in Dagestan and Deputy Head of the Interregional Inspectorate of the Ministry of Taxes and Duties of Russia for the Southern Federal District. He was a State Duma Deputy from 2003 to 2021. In May 2023, he was recognized as a foreign agent and expelled from United Russia, and in February 2024, he was placed on the wanted list in Russia.

The Supreme Court of Dagestan announced the verdict in the case of former State Duma Deputy Magomed Gadzhiev* and his brother Akhmed Gadzhiev, the former General Director of the Makhachkala Seaport and a member of the Dagestan parliament. The cases of both brothers were heard in absentia.

Magomed Gadzhiev* was charged with organizing a contract double murder and extortion on an especially large scale, while Akhmed Gadzhiev was charged only with extortion.

According to the case materials, in 2011, Magomed Gadzhiev* organized the murder of Maksud Sadikov, rector of the Institute of Theology, through intermediaries: he was shot dead on June 7, 2011, at the entrance to his apartment building. His nephew, Zalimkhan Musayev, was also killed. Investigators considered Sadikov's professional activities as the primary theory behind the murder—in particular, his active opposition "to the extremist movement of Islam." Activists and Caucasus scholars interviewed by the "Caucasian Knot" in June 2011 suggested that forces opposing the process of reconciliation between religious communities in Dagestan were behind Maksud Sadikov's murder.

The extortion charge concerns the corporate raid on Sudoremont CJSC: according to the prosecution, the brothers jointly devised a plan to seize a controlling stake in the company and, under threat of violence, forced its owner to transfer 52% of the shares to front men.

"The damage from the corporate raid exceeded 93 million rubles," according to a statement from the United Press Service of the Courts of Dagestan.

The court sentenced Magomed Gadzhiev* to life imprisonment in a special regime penal colony and a fine of 900,000 rubles. Akhmed Gadzhiev was sentenced to 10 years in a maximum-security penal colony and fined 900,000 rubles.

In March 2025, the Polish publication GEO Polityka reported that Gadzhiev* may have a bank account at Wells Fargo Bank in the US containing over $45 million. The US Internal Revenue Service asked the bank not to close the accounts, as Gadzhiev* provided information and is entitled to a reward. The publication also believes the deputy is a co-owner of the Fantom Foundation, the company behind the Fantom cryptocurrency, and a shareholder in several online casinos and a bookmaker, according to RBC.

"Caucasian Knot" also reported that in November 2024, Magomed Gadzhiev* was named as the author of a theory about an assassination attempt on Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov. Before this, Ramzan Kadyrov, speaking about the conflict around Wildberries, mentioned the senator from Dagestan Suleiman Kerimov, State Duma deputies Bekkhan Barakhoev and Rizvan Kurbanov, calling on them to prove their non-involvement in ordering his murder. Kadyrov also warned of his readiness to declare blood feud against them. Fifteen months later, in January 2026, Kadyrov took a photo with Kerimov and called him his brother.

* are listed as foreign agents.

** Meta (owner of Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp) is banned in Russia.