The Supreme Qualification Collegium of Judges stripped the status of the former judge in the case of Ivan Gely.

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The Supreme Qualification Collegium of Judges stripped federal judge Andrey Kuznetsov of his status for refusing to issue a verdict against the head of Ilovlinsky District, Ivan Gely.

The Supreme Qualification Collegium of Judges denied Andrey Kuznetsov's request to restore his status as a federal judge.

Andrey Kuznetsov lost his status as a judge after reviewing the case of the head of Ilovlinsky District, Ivan Gely. Kuznetsov led the process for several months but then returned the case to the prosecutor's office, believing that there were shortcomings in the indictment, and did so after already retiring to the deliberation room, writes "Vysota 102" on July 18.

The judge's decision was appealed, the regional court overturned Kuznetsov's decision, and also issued a private ruling against him due to identified violations of legislation. The activities of the judge were analyzed by the qualification collegium of judges of the Volgograd region, which sent him into retirement, which does not grant rights to benefits and privileges. Kuznetsov decided to appeal this decision to the Supreme Qualification Collegium of Judges, but unsuccessfully.

The verdict against Ivan Gely was ultimately issued by another judge of the Ilovlinsky District Court, Vyacheslav Pichugin, who retired on August 1, 2026. He sentenced the official to three years of probation with a ban on holding a managerial position. However, this verdict did not satisfy the parties involved, and the verdict was appealed.

As a reminder, as reported by "Caucasian Knot", the head of Ilovlinsky District, Ivan Gely, is accused in a criminal case of exceeding official powers resulting in serious consequences (Article 286 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation). According to the investigation, he sent unqualified administration staff to extinguish a fire, after which 52-year-old Alexander Pereyarin died from burns and three of his colleagues were injured. The court suspended Gely from his position, but he continued to perform his duties, contesting the court's decision. In December 2024, despite protests from residents, deputies re-elected Ivan Gely as the head of the district. Gely's opponents were his subordinates, who did not conduct election campaigning.

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