MOSCOW – A Russian man killed a Swiss air traffic controller blames plane crash in which his wife and children died, gets appointed to a high-level government post in his southern Russian province.

North Ossetia government approved Vitaly Kaloyev as the region’s construction and architecture minister, said Yevgeny Rodionov, the region’s construction minister.

“He didn’t agree to it immediately. We spoke a month ago, and he went back and forth but finally agreed to it.” Rodionov told NTV.

Kaloyev was convicted in Switzerland in October 2005 of killing Peter Nielsen, a Danish controller with Swiss company Skyguide and was sentenced to five and a quarter years in prison. He was released in November under an order by Switzerland’s highest court.

He was freed in accordance with Swiss legislation that allows early release of convicted criminals for good behavior after they complete two thirds of a sentence. Kaloyev’s ordeal has brought him widespread sympathy in Russia.

In September, it was learned that four Skyguide employees were guilty of negligent homicide in a separate case examining the events that led to the crash. The punishment ranged from one year suspended prison sentence to fines.