A retired judge from Dagestan is under investigation for bribery and drugs.

The High Qualification Collegium of Judges (HQCJ) has authorized the criminal prosecution of former Khasavyurt judge Sultan Azizov, who, after resigning, was sent to the war zone on a contract basis.

Sultan Azizov served as a judge of the Khasavyurt District Court of Dagestan until September 2025. Since September, he has had the status of a retired judge, which entitles him to immunity.

The High Qualification Collegium of Judges (HQCJ) today authorized investigators to initiate criminal proceedings against Azizov. He is suspected of accepting a bribe, illegal drug possession, and weapons trafficking. According to investigators, the bribe amounted to 2 million rubles.

According to the Supreme Court of Russia, Azizov has already been sent to the front. "He has currently signed a contract with the Russian Ministry of Defense and is located in a special military operation zone," RIA Novosti quotes a court representative as saying.

Azizov faces up to 15 years in prison under charges of bribery, drug possession, and illegal arms trafficking (Part 6 of Article 290, Part 2 of Article 228, and Part 1 of Article 222 of the Russian Criminal Code). The bribe was received for knowingly making unlawful decisions in the interests of a commercial entity, and the drugs and ammunition were found on the judge's premises during a search, according to the Telegram channel "Aktsenty Kavkaza."

"Caucasian Knot" has repeatedly written about former security officials and officials who, while under investigation, were sent to war zones. Thus, three years after the death of Kurban Dalgatov in the Sovetsky District Department of Internal Affairs in Makhachkala, most of the security officials have still not been sentenced, while five of the defendants have been sent to the military operation zone in Ukraine.

In January, a Makhachkala court remanded Ullubiy Khanmurzaev, former head of the Buinaksk district of Dagestan, into custody on suspicion of fraud. Earlier, the Buinaksk district administration announced the termination of Khanmurzaev's term as head of the district due to his "failure to fulfill his duties in resolving local issues" for more than three months. This decision was supported by 43 district council members. Khanmurzaev objected to the dismissal of contract soldiers serving in the SVO zone, which contravenes the Labor Code, recalling that he had delegated the duties of the head of the district to his deputy. On January 19, Ullubiy Khanmurzaev was detained on suspicion of corruption.