Telman Ismayilov Humiliates Singer Abraham Russo, Forces Him to Kiss His Hands

The former owner of the Cheryomushki Market, Telman Ismayilov, has forced the famous singer Abraham Russo to kiss his hands. This information was reported today in the Presnensky District Court of Moscow during the hearings of the artist’s kidnapping case from 2004.

“It became clear during the trial that Telman Ismayilov had treated Russo roughly, humiliated him, and forced him to kiss his hands, as well as compelled him to sing at private parties for his friends. On the day of the kidnapping, the bodyguards beat him until he lost consciousness, and he was forced to cooperate,” said the singer's lawyer, Andrey Aleshkin, in an interview with the agency.

Aleshkin added that according to medical documents, Russo suffered serious injuries. He was diagnosed with a broken nose, cranio-cerebral trauma, and numerous other injuries.

Seated in the defendant’s chair is Zaur Mardanov, who is alleged to be the third participant in the artist’s kidnapping. However, under the law, if a guilty verdict is rendered, he will face the same fate as the other two accomplices—he will be released due to the statute of limitations.

The court found that in January 2004, Ismayilov had summoned Russo to the Moscow “Prague” restaurant, where he was beaten along with other individuals before being taken to Ismayilov’s villa. There, his people forced Russo to cancel all concerts and “enter into contractual relations with him to pursue his musical activities on his terms.”

Currently, Telman Ismayilov is hiding abroad due to accusations of involvement in murders. Recently, he has obtained political asylum in Montenegro.