Suspect arrested in Moscow in murder of former MP Ilya Kiva

A suspect in the murder of former Ukrainian Verkhovna Rada deputy Ilya Kiva was detained in Moscow. According to the SHOT publication, the detainee was 44-year-old Armenian citizen Araik Amirkhanyan.

According to the investigation, in 2023, he provided the Security Service of Ukraine with information about the whereabouts of Kiva, who was living at the Velich Country Club hotel in the village of Suponyevo at that time. There, he was shot dead – two shots to the head were fatal.

It is known that Kiva fled Ukraine and planned to apply for political asylum in Russia.

Araik Amirkhanyan once worked in Ukraine, was engaged in business, and was one of the contractors of Ukravtodor. In October 2020, the Security Service added him to the wanted list, and in 2021, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky revoked his citizenship due to the lack of a valid Armenian passport.

Amirkhanyan is currently in custody in connection with another criminal case, where he is accused of attempted bribery.

Former Verkhovna Rada deputy Ilya Kiva was found dead on December 6 in the Velich Country Club hotel complex in the village of Suponevo.