The Supreme Court of the Russian Federation upheld the sentence of a resident of Khabarovsk for financing “Art preparation”*
Quick Look
- The Supreme Court of Russia approved a 10-year prison term for a Khabarovsk resident found guilty of financing the banned terrorist organization Artpodgotovka*.
- The convicted person transferred funds to the organization’s accounts in 2022-2023.
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Why It Matters
The organization “Artpodgotovka” is recognized as terrorist in the Russian Federation. Vyacheslav Maltsev created it with the aim of organizing a revolution in Russia.
The Supreme Court of Russia confirmed the sentence of a resident of Khabarovsk, who received 10 years in prison for financing the terrorist organization Artpodgotovka*, banned in the Russian Federation, follows from materials at the disposal of RIA Novosti.
According to the materials, the man, in the period from May 2022 to May 25, 2023 in Khabarovsk, made four money transfers using the details specified in the channel of the terrorist organization "Artpodgotovka"*, also referred to as "People's Power"*. During the search, a mobile phone containing information about transfers was confiscated from the convict.
The court of first instance found the man guilty of financing terrorist activities (Part 1 of Article 205.1 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation) and sentenced him to 10 years in prison, serving the first three years in prison and the remaining term in a maximum security colony. The materials note that the court took into account the commission of a crime motivated by political hatred as an aggravating circumstance, and participation in public life and the presence of a child as mitigating circumstances.
The Court of Appeal upheld the decision. The defense appealed to the Supreme Court, insisting on overturning the sentence and transferring the case for a new trial or mitigating the sentence. The convict himself asked to be acquitted.
“Having considered the criminal case based on the arguments of the cassation appeals and having listened to the parties, the judicial panel does not find any grounds for satisfying them,” the Supreme Court indicated.
The Russian FSB reported in July that since 2022, law enforcement agencies have stopped the illegal activities of 251 participants in Artpodgotovka* on terrorist and extremist charges, as well as for treason.
According to the FSB, “Artpodgotovka”* and the Internet project of the same name were created by foreign agent Vyacheslav Maltsev** “with the goal of organizing a revolution in Russia.” In July 2017, a case of extremism was opened against Maltsev**, and he fled abroad.
