Former lawmaker sentenced to 17 years for organizing the murder of a democratic politician in 1998

Former Russian State Duma deputy Mikhail Glushchenko has been sentenced to 17 years in a high-security prison on charges of organizing the murder of politician Galina Starovoytova in 1998.

Glushchenko reached a plea deal with investigators and said that businessman Vladimir Barsukov had ordered Starovoytova’s killing because she had made it difficult for him to strike deals with corrupt city officials. According to Glushchenko, he agreed to organize the murder because he feared for his life and the lives of his loved ones. He apologized for his crime during the court hearing.

“I ask for forgiveness from all the Russian people,” said Glushchenko.

Galina Starovoytova was a Russian politician and ethnographer known for her work on promoting democratic reform in Russia and on protecting ethnic minorities.

She was shot dead in the entryway of her apartment building in St. Petersburg on November 20, 1998. According to the investigation, the murder was politically motivated. Three people were given sentences for carrying out the murder.

The case was reopened in 2013, and Glushchenko came under investigation for organizing the murder. At the time, he was already serving an 8-year sentence for blackmail.

Glushchenko reached a plea deal and admitted to participating in the murder. He also said that Vladimir Barsukov had ordered Starovoytova’s killing.

Barsukov has been in jail since 2007. He is serving sentences for several other crimes.