Inherited property from a corrupt official in Russia? The country’s prosecutor general says the state can still seize any assets acquired through crime.

Russian Prosecutor General Alexander Gutsan stated that the state can still seize assets obtained through corruption, even from the heirs of those involved, according to a speech at the 11th meeting of the Interstate Council for Countering Corruption in Minsk. Prosecutors have been pursuing cases to seize corruption-linked assets from criminal organizations for years, despite debates on the inviolability of property and statutes of limitations.

Gutsan emphasized that property rights do not extend to assets acquired through crime, and this applies regardless of the duration of ownership or transfers to third parties. He further explained that even after a corrupt individual dies, their assets are subject to seizure by the state from their heirs. The Prosecutor General's Office frequently sues to have assets seized from businesses nationalized by Russian authorities, and courts consistently uphold these decisions.

In 2026, one notable case involved the seizure of assets from Vadim Moshkovich, owner of the agricultural conglomerate Rusagro, who was accused of illegally running a business while in public office. Meduza, the news outlet reporting this, maintains transparency about its use of AI in the newsroom, with English-language coverage reviewed by editors before publication.