25.05.2026 11:06
The reasoning behind the decision sentencing Andrej Kuslevic to two aggravated life sentences for killing his ex-wife Irina Dvizova and daughter Dayana Dvizova and throwing them into rugged terrain in Muğla has been announced. The decision emphasized that Kuslevic fitted false license plates to his own vehicle, bought plane tickets to two different countries on the same day, and that blood traces of the victims were found in the car belonging to Irina Dvizova which he was using. The decision also noted that Kuslevic acted with intent and a plan to kill from the very beginning.
In the Bodrum district of Muğla, Andrej Kuslevic (49), who was tried for killing his ex-wife, Russian national Irina Dvizova (42), and her daughter Dayana Dvizova (15) and throwing them into a rugged area, was sentenced to two aggravated life imprisonment terms for premeditated murder. The justification for the verdict has been announced.
MOTHER AND DAUGHTER'S LIFELESS BODIES FOUND ON A STEEP SLOPE Relatives of Irina Dvizova, who was involved in real estate business in Bodrum, and her daughter Dayana, unable to reach them on November 23, 2023, went to their home in Konacık Neighborhood. When no one answered, the relatives broke in and saw blood stains on the couch, which they believed belonged to the mother and daughter. Following the relatives' report, teams from the Bodrum Police Department's Public Order Bureau launched an operation to find the mother and daughter. The teams examined camera footage in the area. Following the trail of a vehicle detected in front of the address, the police intensified the search around the Tavşanburnu road area in the İçmeler region. On November 28, 2023, around 4:00 PM, the lifeless bodies of Irina Dvizova and her daughter Dayana, wrapped in sheets three meters apart, were found on a steep slope by the road. It was determined that the murder was committed by Irina Dvizova's ex-husband, Andrej Kuslevic. It was discovered that after the incident, Kuslevic took his young son and fled to Lithuania.
A FUNDRAISING CAMPAIGN WAS LAUNCHED David Dvizova, the eldest of Irina Dvizova's three children, who were in poor financial condition, and other relatives launched a fundraising campaign in Russia to retrieve the bodies of his mother and sister and take them to their home country. After the funds were collected, Dvizova and accompanying relatives arrived in Muğla on December 13, 2023, by plane from Russia. Following official procedures at the Forensic Medicine Institute, David Dvizova received the bodies of his mother and sister and took them to his country.
CUSTODY DISPUTE Investigations by the police during the inquiry revealed that Andrej Kuslevic came to the house in his own car, stayed at the scene for approximately 4.5 hours after the murder, and cleaned the house during this time. It was determined that Kuslevic then wrapped the bodies in sheets, placed them in the trunk of Irina Dvizova's car, and then, taking his son with him, went to a hotel at around 3:50 AM in Dvizova's car. Approximately 20 minutes later, Andrej Kuslevic left the hotel, threw the bodies off a cliff by the roadside, and then returned to the hotel. Additionally, it was stated that there were disputes between Dvizova and Kuslevic over the custody of their 5-year-old son.
Furthermore, it emerged that Irina Dvizova was hit by three bullets—in the head, ear, and shoulder—while her daughter Dayana Dvizova was hit by two bullets in the neck and chest area.
CAPTURED IN GERMANY Andrej Kuslevic, for whom a red notice was issued, was captured and arrested in Germany. A surprise witness also emerged in the case. It was reported that in the witness's statement to the prosecutor's office, they said Kuslevic had previously raided his ex-wife's home, resulting in three restraining orders against him. The witness also stated that they did not see the incident but saw mud stains on the carpet and blood stains on the couch in the house.
EXTRADITED TO TURKEY The Bodrum Chief Public Prosecutor's Office prepared an indictment against Andrej Kuslevic, seeking two aggravated life sentences for the crimes of 'Premeditated murder of a child or a person who cannot defend themselves physically or mentally' and 'Intentional murder of a divorced spouse.' The indictment was accepted by the Bodrum 2nd Heavy Penal Court. Kuslevic was brought to Turkey on February 6, extradited, and arrested at Istanbul Airport.
VERDICT ISSUED, HE DID NOT ACCEPT THE ALLEGATIONS Detained defendant Andrej Kuslevic appeared before the judge at the 2nd Heavy Penal Court on May 13. While the prosecution announced its opinion, Kuslevic, making his defense through an interpreter, said, 'I am not the person the prosecutor calls a fabricator. I admit I was at the hotel. I could not see myself in the videos you showed me. I do not accept the punishment and allegations; I object. I tried to prove my innocence, so I only ask for a fair verdict. I request an acquittal.' The court took a short break for the verdict. Without applying any reduction, the court sentenced Kuslevic to two aggravated life imprisonment terms for the crime of 'Premeditated murder against a divorced spouse and a child or a person who cannot defend themselves physically or mentally.'
The justification for the verdict was also announced. In the reasoned decision, it was stated that the defendant Andrej Kuslevic's defenses did not reflect the truth and were contrary to the normal course of life. It was noted that in his defense, Kuslevic claimed he took Irina's car at her request and went to Ankara, leaving his own car in Bodrum to use later. It was emphasized that Irina Dvizova had obtained restraining orders against Kuslevic, with whom she had a long-standing feud. According to the findings in the reasoned decision, after entering Turkey, the defendant Kuslevic put fake license plates on his own car; after the murders, he left the house where Irina Dvizova and her daughter lived, using Irina's car and taking his 5-year-old son with him. It was emphasized that Kuslevic left his son alone at the hotel, then left the hotel again in Dvizova's car and went to the place where the bodies were dumped. The reasoned decision stated that although the defendant Kuslevic denied the camera footage, the License Plate Recognition System (LPR), hotel entry-exit records, and surrounding camera footage conclusively confirmed this activity. It was also highlighted that after throwing the bodies off the cliff, Kuslevic returned near the hotel, parked the car, then around 6:00 AM walked to a bus stop, took a taxi, and went to the area where Dvizova's house was located to retrieve his own car. The reasoned decision also included that Kuslevic returned to the hotel in his own car at around 6:46 AM, then took his son and set off towards Ankara, again in Dvizova's car.
"COULD NOT PROVIDE A REASONABLE EXPLANATION FOR THE BLOOD STAINS" The decision noted that Kuslevic buying a one-way ticket, not having a return ticket to Bodrum, and going to Ankara in Dvizova's car—who lived in Bodrum—when he could have gone in his own car, and then abandoning the car at Esenboğa Airport, was contrary to the normal course of life.
It was stated in the decision that examinations conducted on the vehicle belonging to Dvizova, in which Kuslevic traveled, detected blood traces of the victims. It was included in the decision that Kuslevic could not provide a reasonable explanation for these blood traces found in the vehicle.
FLIGHT TICKETS TO TWO DIFFERENT COUNTRIES ON THE SAME DATE In the decision, it was stated that suspect Kuslevic put fake license plates on his vehicle immediately after entering Turkey and came directly to Bodrum. It was emphasized that when camera and PTS records were examined, it was determined that the suspect conducted reconnaissance and waited around the house where Dvizova and her daughter lived on the date of the incident, and after the murder, he again used their vehicle to avoid capture. When all these elements were evaluated together, it was noted that it was accepted that Kuslevic acted with intent and a plan to kill from the very beginning.
THE ESCAPE AND HIDING PROCESS WAS ALSO DETAILEDLY PLANNED IN ADVANCE In the decision, it was also stated that despite the passage of a reasonable period of time during which the suspect could achieve mental composure after arriving in Bodrum, he did not give up his determination for the act and showed persistence. It was pointed out that suspect Kuslevic, who was noted to have taken systematic steps to eliminate evidence after the brutal act, was found to have purchased flight tickets to two different countries on the same date. The decision emphasized that Kuslevic not only planned the killing act but also the subsequent escape and hiding process in detail beforehand, stating that it was concluded and determined that the murder was 'committed with premeditation.'