Moscow: new charges against two Artpodgotovka activists

In November 2017, it became known in Moscow that two activists of the Artpodgotovka movement, who allegedly planned to set fire to pallets of hay on Manezhnaya Square, were also accused of participating in a terrorist community, in addition to being charged with an attempted terrorist act.

In November 2017, Moscow became aware of the initiation of a criminal case under Part 2 of Art. 205.4 of the Criminal Code (participation in a terrorist community).

The case was launched against two activists of the Artpodgotovka movement, Andrey Kepti and Yury Kornoy, who, we recall, along with three other young people, were detained on the night of October 12 at Manezhnaya Square. Then it was reported that the activists came to the square in order to set fire to pallets of hay left after the fair, for which they brought a canister with combustible substances and bottled the contents. According to law enforcement agencies, they planned to film the burning hay and put it on the Internet.

At the end of October, it became known that a case had been opened against them under Art. 30 of the Criminal Code and paragraph "a" part 2 of Art. 205 of the Criminal Code (attempt to commit a terrorist act committed by a group of persons by prior conspiracy).

Thus, two criminal cases have already been initiated against Kept and Kornoy under serious articles (Article 205.4 of the Criminal Code provides for up to 10 years in prison, Article 205 of the Criminal Code - up to 20).

Both activists were arrested by a court decision until December 23.
From the point of view of the SOVA Center, filing cases against activists under the article on terrorism and participation in a terrorist community) for an attempt to burn hay that has not even been started is an excessively harsh measure. In addition, according to law enforcement agencies, the arson was planned at 5 am, when there were no people on the square.

The Artpodgotovka movement was formed around the Saratov blogger Vyacheslav Maltsev, who previously created a channel of the same name on the Youtube portal. In August 2017, Maltsev was charged in absentia under Part 1 of Art. 280 of the Criminal Code (public calls for extremist activity), and he himself left Russia. In October 2017, the Artpodgotovka movement was recognized as extremist . Maltsev designated November 5, 2017 as the day of the peaceful revolution. In connection with this action, there were mass detentions in the country .

Sources

• AGAINST TWO ARRESTED MEMBERS OF "ARTPOGOTOVKA" BROKEN A CASE OF PARTICIPATION IN A TERRORISM COMMUNITY // City News Agency "Moscow". November 10, 2017