Businessman Mikhail Lanin and his life partner Elena Pravoslavnova came to Paris in 2011 to buy property in the French Riviera. They were met at the airport by Rouslan Bersanov, who was to accompany them, and his driver Yazid Arsaliev, both from Russia's Chechnya region.
13 May 2018, 05:18 GMT
The pair were driven to a Paris suburb where they were ambushed. The man died of a bullet wound in the head, while his partner was injured and survived.
"Bersanov got 20 years in prison for murder, attempted murder and criminal conspiracy," attorney Irina Sidorova said.
Arsaliev was acquitted and might be compensated for seven years in custody, while a third suspect, Bardoudin Kaimov, was given a six-month suspended sentence for hiding stolen goods.
The lawyer said that the victim’s son was shocked by jurors’ leniency. She said the prosecutor will decide next week whether to appeal. The challenge can be filed within ten days.
