Rosfinmonitoring: Criminal case opened against mathematician Azat Miftakhov for justifying terrorism

A criminal case has been opened against MSU postgraduate student and mathematician Azat Miftakhov under the article on public calls for terrorism, justification or propaganda of terrorism (Part 1 of Article 205.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation). This was reported by RTVI, citing a response from Rosfinmonitoring.

On August 17, Rosfinmonitoring added Miftakhov to the list of terrorists and extremists. On September 6, Miftakhov's term in the penal colony under the article on hooliganism (Part 2 of Article 213 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation) is due to end.

In response to a request from RTVI, Rosfinmonitoring stated that they add to the list if law enforcement agencies receive information about the involvement of a person or organization in extremist activity or terrorism, as well as in the event of the initiation of a “terrorist” or “extremist” criminal case.

Rosfinmonitoring claims that a case has been opened against Miftakhov under the article on public calls for terrorism, public justification of terrorism or propaganda of terrorism (Part 1 of Article 205.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation). The maximum punishment under this article is up to five years in prison.

"Rosfinmonitoring is not authorized to provide or comment on information about the circumstances of the crimes committed by the persons included in the List. You have the right to request this information from the body handling the criminal case (in this case, on the grounds of the crime provided for in Part 1 of Article 205.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation)," Rosfinmonitoring stated.

After Miftakhov was included in the Rosfinmonitoring list, his lawyer Svetlana Sidorkina assumed that this could be connected with a new criminal case. This was also written in Miftakhov's support group.

• In late February 2023, TASS reported that FSB officers had conducted searches of anarchists and their relatives as part of a criminal investigation into the alleged "Moscow cell" of the "Network" community. According to the agency's source, several previously convicted "Network" defendants, whose names have not been disclosed, were transferred to Moscow's Lefortovo pretrial detention center, where they testified. Svetlana Sidorkina said that "we are talking specifically about the existence of an alleged Moscow cell [of "Network"] and that somehow this has to do with Azat, although I believe that Azat has nothing to do with this."