{"id":383527,"date":"2026-08-28T13:06:12","date_gmt":"2026-08-28T13:06:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/383527\/"},"modified":"2026-08-28T13:06:12","modified_gmt":"2026-08-28T13:06:12","slug":"st-petersburg-businessman-ilya-traber-released-from-detention-fontanka","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/383527\/","title":{"rendered":"St. Petersburg Businessman Ilya Traber Released From Detention \u2013 Fontanka"},"content":{"rendered":"

Russian investigators have released Ilya Traber, a prominent St. Petersburg businessman with alleged ties to President Vladimir Putin, from pre-trial detention, the news outlet Fontanka reported<\/a> Friday.<\/p>\n

The investigation reportedly justified the decision to release Traber based on a \u201csharp decline\u201d in his health. The businessman, however, still faces charges of organized murder and arms trafficking.<\/p>\n

Traber, 75, was arrested and placed<\/a> in pre-trial detention in mid-June. He and his longtime business partner, Vladimir Danilenko, are accused of hiring two men to carry out the 2020 contract killing of businessman and politician Alexander Petrov.<\/p>\n

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\t\t\t\tMoscow Court Places Businessman Ilya Traber in Pre-Trial Detention in Contract Murder Case
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Traber first drew public scrutiny for his ties to the Russian president during Putin\u2019s early political career.<\/p>\n

In 2011, Putin\u2019s spokesman Dmitry Peskov confirmed<\/a> that Traber had met with the Kremlin leader in the 1990s to discuss an oil terminal project. At the time, Putin was working in the St. Petersburg mayor\u2019s office.<\/p>\n

Years later, Peskov said<\/a> Putin knew Traber but could not confirm if the two were on friendly terms.<\/p>\n

Traber, who had built<\/a> a shipping and port empire in northwestern Russia during the 1990s, has reportedly<\/a> surrendered ownership stakes in at least four major companies during his two months in detention.<\/p>\n

There has been no official confirmation of Traber\u2019s release from law enforcement agencies.<\/p>\n

According to Fontanka, he walked out of Moscow\u2019s Lefortovo prison on Thursday evening and was traveling back to St. Petersburg.<\/p>\n

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