In this photo taken on Thursday, Feb. 1, 2018, former Kirov regional Gov. Nikita Belykh, who has been in custody since his June 2016 arrest while accepting money at a Moscow restaurant, stands in a cage in a court room in Moscow, Russia. A court in Moscow has convicted a former provincial governor of taking a 400,000-euro ($500,000) bribe and sentenced him to eight years in prison. (Andrey Nikerichev, Moscow News Agency photo via AP)
The Associated Press
MOSCOW (AP) - A court in Moscow has convicted a former provincial governor of taking a 400,000-euro ($500,000) bribe and sentenced him to eight years in prison.
Lawyers for former Kirov regional Gov. Nikita Belykh said they would appeal the verdict delivered late Thursday.
Belykh has been in custody since he was arrested in June 2016 while accepting the money at a Moscow restaurant. He rejected the charges as provocation.
Belykh's case was among a series of arrests of regional and federal officials intended to showcase Kremlin efforts to combat corruption.
Prior to his appointment to the governor's job, Belykh led a liberal party, an untypical track record untypical for Russia's provincial leaders.
Liberal politicians and commentators have questioned the charges against him, describing them as part of infighting in the Russian elite.
FILE - In this file photo taken Monday, Feb. 1, 2016, Russian President Vladimir Putin, left, meets with Kirov regional governor Nikita Belykh in the Novo-Ogaryovo residence outside Moscow, Russia. Belykh has been in custody since his June 2016 arrest while accepting money at a Moscow restaurant. A court in Moscow late Thursday Feb. 1, 2018, has convicted Nikita Belykh of taking a 400,000-euro ($500,000) bribe and sentenced him to eight years in prison. (Alexei Nikolsky/Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP, File)
The Associated Press
In this photo taken on Thursday, Feb. 1, 2018, former Kirov regional Gov. Nikita Belykh, second right, who has been in custody since his June 2016 arrest while accepting money at a Moscow restaurant, is escorted to in a court room in Moscow, Russia. A court in Moscow has convicted the former provincial governor of taking a 400,000-euro ($500,000) bribe and sentenced him to eight years in prison. (Andrey Nikerichev, Moscow News Agency photo via AP)
The Associated Press