Case Overview
The defense of entrepreneur Ayaz Shabutdinov, founder of the "Like Center" educational project, in a high-profile criminal case became one of KIAP Law Firm’s most complex criminal-law mandates in recent years. The charges comprised 113 counts of fraud under Part 4 of Article 159 of the Russian Criminal Code, with alleged losses totaling RUB 57 million across 113 victims. On October 31, 2025, the Presnensky District Court of Moscow found Shabutdinov guilty and sentenced him to 7 years in a general-regime penal colony, along with a fine of RUB 5 million. The case attracted extensive national media coverage.
Complexity of the Mandate
The project's complexity stemmed not only from its scale — 113 counts involving 113 victims, each requiring individual engagement— but also from the highly divergent positions taken by the claimants. Following the first-instance verdict, 17 victims filed appellate complaints challenging either the leniency of the sentence or the amount of civil damages awarded. An additional challenge arose from the seizure of the client's bank funds, which significantly complicated the process of prompt damage reimbursement. The work was carried out under intense scrutiny from national media, requiring close coordination between the legal and communications strategies. The defining feature of the case was the need to remain actively engaged even after the entry of a guilty verdict at first instance.
The Legal Team’s Objectives
KIAP’s team was tasked with securing a reduction in sentence on appeal, resolving the victims’ claims, gathering positive character references, and presenting new evidence of loss repayment to the Moscow City Court. Additional priorities included protecting the client’s interests in related civil claims and ensuring that the defence’s position was accurately represented in the public domain.
Approach and Outcome
After the verdict was handed down, attorney Dmitry Grigoriadi continued to work directly with the victims: he conducted negotiations, resolved conflicts and financial disputes, facilitated payments, and ensured that compensation was properly documented. As a result of this extensive work, 81 of the 113 victims received full compensation prior to the appellate hearing. They provided positive character references for Ayaz Shabutdinov and written requests to the court for a more lenient sentence. These documents, along with new evidence of payments made, were submitted to the Moscow City Court and examined during the appellate proceedings.
The outcome was secured on 6 October 2026: on appeal, the Moscow City Court took into account the voluntary repayment of harm and amended the verdict, reducing the term of imprisonment from seven to six years. Furthermore, the court reduced the amount awarded under one of the civil claims from RUB 6 million to RUB 4.005 million, taking into account payments already made.
“In a case of this scale — where there are more than a hundred counts and participants from across the country — establishing a constructive dialogue with the majority of the victims is extremely challenging. It is even more difficult to secure funds promptly, compensate the victims for their losses, obtain their support, and achieve a genuine reduction in sentence on appeal.
For our team, it was essential not to limit ourselves to formally challenging the verdict, but to continue the practical work of resolving the conflict. As a result, more than 80 of the 113 victims received full compensation for their losses. We were able to present this position to the court: the Moscow City Court accepted our arguments and reduced Ayaz Shabutdinov’s sentence from seven to six years’ imprisonment. This is a significant and substantial result of a comprehensive defense in a case of this magnitude,” noted Dmitry.
Team
Strategic leadership of the project at KIAP was provided by Partner and Head of Criminal Law Practice Dmitry Grigoriadi.