In the dock were 18 suspects out of 26 who were charged. At the same time, among them - the deputy of the State Duma of Russia from the "United Russia" Vladimir Reznik. He is accused of laundering money for a criminal group.

As reported by the BBC, the deputy has already arrived at the court and stated that he will prove his innocence. His wife Diana Gindin is also in court among the accused.

Also will be judged by five Spaniards who are accused of helping Russian criminals. Among them - Antonio de Fortuny, he is accused of creating an opaque business network that sent mafia money to offshore accounts.

The likely leaders of the criminal group - Gennady Petrov and Alexei Malyshev - are still at large. According to preliminary data, they are now in Russia.

According to the news agency, the case concerns 2008, when the Spanish police conducted the "Operation Troika" and arrested 20 suspected Russian mafiosi. Russian criminals began laundering money in Spain in the 1990s, when wealthy Russians began buying luxury villas on the Costa del Sol and the Balearic Islands.

According to Spanish prosecutors more than 50 million euros of the Russian mafia was washed by the so-called gang "Tambov-Malishevskaya", based in St. Petersburg.

In Russia, the gang carried out contract killings, sold weapons and drugs, engaged in racketeering and falsified money.

For most suspects, the prosecutor's office requires 5.5 years imprisonment and fines of more than 100 million euros.

Recall, as reported URA-Inform, the Spanish prosecutor's office on Jan. 15 launched an investigation into the facts of the laundering of Russian officials 30 million euros in the country. Money was laundered through the country of the European Union in the framework of a larger fraud, promulgated by Russian informant Sergei Magnitsky. As the publication Yeobserver, will lead the new investigation of the Spanish prosecutor Jose Grinda, known for previous cases against the Russian mafia in Spain.