A criminal case on financing the army of the will of the people has been instituted

A criminal case was opened on financing the organization "Army of the will of the people", recognized in Russia extremist and prohibited by court decision. This was reported by the Moscow Agency Law enforcement source.

"The case has been instituted against people unidentified by part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code (participation in the activities of an extremist organization). The search is being conducted by those who arranged ABN meetings, and also financed the organization," the source said.

According to him, since October 2010 and after the ban on the organization in 2011 by the decision of the Moscow City Court, activists held meetings in the premises of the non-profit organization “Initial referendum group for responsible power”, which became the successor to the forbidden AVN, to the Garden-Triumphal Street in Moscow. Activists also distributed campaign materials, recruited new supporters, took part in rallies and took part in rallies and took part in rallies and took part processions, the source said.

July 29 last year, a 28-year-old candidate of economic sciences, journalist of RBC Alexander Sokolov was arrested along with the leader of the group "For responsible power!" publicist Yuri Mukhin and another activist of this structure Valery Parfenov. All three are charged with the continuation of the prohibited "army of the will of the people", which was also headed by Mukhin. Part 1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code (organization of activities of an extremist organization), activists face up to eight years of the colony. The case is conducted by the investigator for particularly important cases of the Directorate of the Investigative Committee of the Central District of Moscow, Major of Justice Natalya Talaeva.

The goal, which is declared by the group, headed by Mukhin, is to hold a referendum on introducing the following amendment to the Constitution: at the end of each presidential term, it is necessary to either encourage or criminally punish the outgoing head of state and his team. The TFR, however, claims that the true goal of Mukhin and his supporters was "a loosening of the political situation towards instability and the change of existing power by illegally."

In August, 66-year-old Mukhin was transferred under house arrest. Meanwhile, Sokolov and the 41-year-old Parfenov period of detention in the pre-trial detention center was twice. Another member of the group, retired Colonel Cyril Barabash, was arrested on December 18 .

Sokolov does not admit his guilt and refuses to testify. He explained the criminal prosecution with his journalistic and scientific activities.

On December 8, Politsek’s lawyer Damir Gainutdinov sent a complaint to the ECHR, which claims that Russia violated Article 5 in respect of Sokolov (the right to freedom and personal integrity) and 10 (freedom of expression) of the European Convention. Violation of Article 5, the lawyer notes, consists in the illegal arrest of Sokolov, and Article 10 in the very fact of his illegal persecution.

On December 18, at the annual large press conference, answering the question of RBC correspondent Mikhail Rubin, President Vladimir Putin promisedto figure out the situation with Sokolov . Rubin noted that Sokolov shortly before the arrest published in this publication an investigation "Who and how earned East at the Eastern Cosmodrome?" “We are afraid that we can talk about political pressure,” the correspondent told Putin.

The head of state replied that he first hears Sokolov’s surname. “If he sits for some exposure, including Vostochny’s cosmodrome, then I am grateful to him for working on this topic,” Putin said. “I will figure it out. If only this is the matter, I will help both your publication and a specific journalist.”

The human rights center "Memorial" recognized Mukhin, Sokolov, Parfenov and Barabash with political prisoners and demanded to stop their persecution.