Court sentences alleged member of Russian criminal group to 22 years over botched contract killing

The Prague Municipal Court on Thursday handed a 22-year jail term to Andranik Soghoyan, an alleged member of the Russian criminal group known as Vory v Zakone. Mr. Soghoyan, who was tried in absentia was found guilty of ordering a contract killing on an Armenian businessman; the court heard, however, that the hired assassin had murdered the wrong man and stabbed another man. Mr. Soghoyan has twice been acquitted by a lower court; in both cases an appeals court ruled against him. Two of his accomplices received terms of 12 and 18 years.