Saratov: Sergei Ryzhov has been finally charged

The coordinator of the Free People party, Sergei Ryzhov, is accused of preparing a terrorist attack and illegal possession of explosives.
On March 26, 2019, it became known that in Moscow the investigation brought final charges against the coordinator of the Free People party, Sergei Ryzhov, who is a defendant in the Artpodgotovka case. He is accused under Part 1 of Art. 205 of the Criminal Code using Art. 30 of the Criminal Code (preparation of a terrorist attack) and Part 1 of Art. 222.1 of the Criminal Code (illegal possession of explosives).

On January 28, 2019, the Moscow City Court extended the activist’s arrest until May 2.

Ryzhov was detained on November 1, 2017 in Saratov, at the home of his friend. The apartment was searched, during which FSB officers found five Molotov cocktails and a TNT bomb. The activist claims that these items were not in the premises before the arrest.

According to investigators, Ryzhov was planning to carry out a terrorist attack on November 4 and 5 and was looking for accomplices for this among activists of the Artpodgotovka movement; he does not admit guilt.

Let us recall that the “Artpodgotovka” movement was formed around Saratov blogger Vyacheslav Maltsev, who designated November 5, 2017 as the day of peaceful revolution. In connection with this action, mass arrests occurred in the country. In August 2017, Maltsev was charged in absentia under Part 1 of Art. 280 of the Criminal Code (public calls for extremism), and he himself left Russia. In October 2017, the Artpodgotovka movement was declared extremist , and the ban came into force in February 2018. Sources

• Case file No. 402k-0169/2019 // Moscow City Court. 2019. January 28.
• The court extended the arrest of the coordinator of the Free People party Sergei Ryzhov // OVD-info. 2018. June 19.
• The Moscow City Court extended the arrest of Ryzhov, a defendant in the Artpodgotovka case, for another three months // OVD-Info. 2019. January 28.
• The defendant in the Artpodgotovka case, Sergei Ryzhov, was finally charged // OVD-Info. 2019. March 26.