Armenian Businessman Araik Amirkhanyan Charged in Illya Kiva's Murder Case

Businessman Araik Amirkhanyan has been charged with aiding in the murder of former Verkhovna Rada deputy Illya Kiva. The information was reported by RIA Novosti, citing its sources.

According to the source, Amirkhanyan is accused under Articles 105 and 222 of the Russian Criminal Code (murder and illegal circulation of weapons). The investigative body believes he transmitted information about Kiva to the Security Service of Ukraine.

Earlier, it was reported that a court in the Moscow region had detained Amirkhanyan in connection with the murder case. Additionally, earlier this summer, he was sentenced to six years in prison and a fine for bribing a judicial officer. The court established that the businessman had transferred money twice to lift a lien on company accounts.

In August, an appellate court recognized the verdict as lawful.

It should be noted that Illya Kiva was murdered on December 6, 2023, in the village of Suponevo, Moscow region. An unidentified individual shot him in the garden of a dacha community, and the former deputy died on the spot. Later, Andriy Yusov, a representative of Ukraine's military intelligence, stated that Kiva was killed during a special operation by the Security Service of Ukraine.

Businessman Araik Amirkhanyan's companies have carried out road construction work in Ukraine using budget funds. In 2020, the Ukrainian Ministry of Internal Affairs declared him wanted for a large-scale fraud case. In 2021, media reports indicated that President Volodymyr Zelensky had stripped Amirkhanyan of Ukrainian citizenship due to his Armenian citizenship.