A court in Moscow has sentenced former Kazan Federal University president Ilshat Gafurov to 22 years in prison for inciting and orchestrating the 1999 murder of Aidar Israfilov, who was killed amid a dispute over municipal revenue from market fees. At the time, Gafurov was head of the Yelabuga district in Russia’s Republic of Tatarstan, while Israfilov controlled its largest market.
According to state investigators, Gafurov commissioned an organized crime group to murder Israfilov. Before his December 2021 arrest, Gafurov was one of Tatarstan's most influential public figures. He had headed Kazan Federal University since 2010 and served as a United Russia deputy in the regional parliament since 2012. Gafurov also served as one of Vladimir Putin's authorized campaign representatives during Russia’s presidential elections and co-chaired the regional branch of the All-Russian Popular Front.
Gafurov has denied any involvement in Israfilov's murder.