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A Turkish court has released its detailed decision in the murder case of Russian national Irina Dvizova and her 15-year-old daughter Diana Dvizova. The verdict stated that defendant Andrej Kuslevic acted with prior intent and planning before killing the pair in Bodrum, Mugla. Kuslevic, 49, was sentenced by the Bodrum 2nd High Criminal Court to two aggravated life sentences without any reduction.
The detailed decision underlined several findings, including Kuslevic allegedly placing fake license plates on his own vehicle, booking flights to two different countries for the same date, and using a car belonging to Irina Dvizova in which blood traces belonging to the victims were later detected.
Relatives of Irina Dvizova, 42, and her daughter Diana contacted authorities after they could not reach them on Nov. 23, 2023. When relatives went to their home in Bodrum’s Konacik neighborhood and broke in after receiving no answer, they saw bloodstains on a sofa.
Police then reviewed camera footage in the area and tracked a vehicle seen near the house. The search was later focused around Tavsanburnu road in the Icmeler area, where the bodies of Irina and Diana were found on Nov. 28. Wrapped in sheets, the bodies were lying about 3 meters apart on a steep slope.
Investigators determined that the killings were committed by Irina Dvizova’s former husband, Andrej Kuslevic. He was also found to have fled to Lithuania after the incident with the couple’s 5-year-old son.
According to the case file, Kuslevic arrived at the home in his own vehicle and remained at the scene for about four-and-a-half hours after the killings. During that time, investigators said, he cleaned the house, wrapped the bodies in sheets and placed them in the trunk of Irina Dvizova’s car.
The ruling stated that he then left the house with the child in Dvizova’s vehicle and went to a hotel in the evening. After leaving the child at the hotel, he allegedly drove to the area where the bodies were later found, threw them down the roadside slope and returned to the hotel.
The court also noted that there had been disputes between Dvizova and Kuslevic over the custody of their young son. Forensic findings showed that Irina Dvizova was shot three times, while Diana Dvizova was struck by two bullets.
Kuslevic denied the charges during the trial, saying he did not recognize himself in the videos shown to him. He said, “I do not accept the charges and the punishment, I object. I tried to prove that I am innocent, so I only want a fair decision. I request my acquittal.”
However, the court found his defense inconsistent with the ordinary flow of life. The detailed decision said Kuslevic claimed he took Irina’s car to Ankara at her request and left his own vehicle in Bodrum to use later.
The court rejected this explanation, pointing out that Dvizova had previously obtained restraining orders against Kuslevic due to past hostility between them. It also said that the data of the license plate recognition system, the hotel entry-and-exit records, and the surrounding CCTV footage confirmed his movements despite his denials.
The decision also emphasized that blood traces belonging to the victims were found inside Dvizova’s vehicle. The court said Kuslevic had not provided a reasonable explanation for the presence of those blood traces.
The ruling stated that after entering Türkiye, Kuslevic placed fake plates on his vehicle and went directly to Bodrum. Camera and license plate records showed that he waited around the area of Dvizova’s home on the day of the killings, which the court interpreted as part of a planned act.
After abandoning the bodies, Kuslevic allegedly returned near the hotel, parked the vehicle, took a taxi from a nearby stop to the area of Dvizova’s home, collected his own car and returned to the hotel at 6:46 a.m. He then took the child and set off toward Ankara in Dvizova’s vehicle.
The court also found that he had bought one-way flight tickets and had no return ticket to Bodrum. It said it was unusual that he left his own vehicle behind, drove Dvizova’s car to Ankara and abandoned it at the Esenboga Airport.
The reasoned decision further noted that Kuslevic had booked flights to two different countries on the same date. The court concluded that he had planned not only the killings but also the process of escape and hiding afterward.
Kuslevic was captured in Germany after a red notice was issued for him. He was later extradited to Türkiye on Feb. 6 and arrested at Istanbul Airport.
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