A court in Russia's Komi Republic has sentenced leaders of a notorious criminal group -- Yury Pichugin and Khadis Azizov -- to life in prison on multiple charges, including murders, extortion, and abductions they had organized since 1992 in the country's northwestern region. The Investigative Committee said on June 16 that 14 other defendants were handed prison terms of between seven and 25 years. The Pichugin-led organized crime group is considered to have been one of the biggest in the country, the Investigative Committee said. To read the original story by RFE/RL’s North.Realities, click here.
