Investigative Committee: arrested priest Dementeev and military man Selyutin are connected with crime
From 1997 to 2017, an organized criminal group (OCG) operated in the Belgorod region, kidnapping people and committing reprisals against them for their own enrichment. They included priest Stanislav Dementeev, serviceman Igor Selyutin and businessman Stepan Morozov, arrested in April 2024. Official court documents indicate that they all have extensive criminal connections.
It is assumed that when free, they can hide from the preliminary investigation and trial in order to begin coordinating their actions with accomplices in the crime and avoid criminal liability. This will allow the detainees to create false evidence of their innocence, as indicated in the materials of the Investigative Committee.
It is known that the priest cooperated with the investigation. The accused and his lawyer also opposed the arrest, pointing out that the investigation’s arguments were unfounded and not documented, and Dementeev himself did not intend to hide.
The criminal group operated in the Belgorod region for 20 years
According to investigators, over the course of 20 years, an organized crime group consisting of residents of the Gubkinsky district of the Belgorod region committed several dozen serious and especially serious crimes, including kidnappings, extortion, and reprisals.
At least two alleged victims could not be found. Among the surviving victims are a woman and a citizen of Abkhazia.
In the case, fingerprinting and psychological and psychiatric examinations were carried out, as well as searches and confrontations, witnesses and victims were questioned, and evidence was seized.
One of the members of the organized crime group suffered from drug addiction and also fought in the Northern Military District zone
One of the alleged leaders of the organized crime group volunteered to go to the special military operation zone (SVO) and died during the fighting. Professional soldier Igor Selyutin also took part there. At the time of his arrest he passed military service in one of the most combative units of the Ministry of Defense – the Pyatnashka brigade, fighting in the Donbass.
According to the lawyers, Selyutin was a sniper in a rifle platoon and “was repeatedly awarded certificates of honor and commendations.” He also took part in the fighting.
In court documents it saysthat the man suffered from drug addiction, and therefore it was recommended to assign him a forensic psychiatric examination, as well as perform other investigative and procedural actions.
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