The Kremlin insists on the release of life-sentenced murderer Zelimkhan Khangoshvili

The Russian Federation and the United States are negotiating a prisoner exchange. Number one on the Kremlin's list is Vadim Krasikov (Sokolov), a life-sentenced Russian citizen and alleged FSB officer, reports the Wall Street Journal. In 2021, he was found guilty of the murder of former Chechen field commander Zelimkhan Khangoshvili in Berlin.

As stated in the report, Vladimir Putin personally gave the order to seek Krasikov’s release. However, the prisoner is outside American jurisdiction; he is in prison in Germany. Previously, the United States was unable to get Berlin to include it in the exchange list.

Zelimkhan Khangoshvili came to Germany in 2016 and received asylum. His murder took place on August 23, 2019 in Berlin's Little Tiergarten park. According to investigators, Krasikov-Sokolov rode up to the victim on a bicycle and fired two shots. On the same day he was arrested and brought to justice. The media reported that the killer was an FSB officer.

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