MOSCOW, October 18 - RAPSI. The Moscow City Court has refused to throw out the criminal case against retired military intelligence Col. Vladimir Kvachkov suspected of attempted mutiny and has extended his detention until April, defense attorney Alexei Pershin told the Russian Legal Information Agency (RAPSI/rapsinews.com) on Thursday.

"We petitioned the court for a dismissal during the preliminary hearing on the grounds that the defendants' actions did not constitute a crime," said Pershin.
Kvachkov's case will be tried behind closed doors as some of the case materials are classified.

The day after Kvachkov was acquitted by the Supreme Court on December 22, 2010, on charges of organizing the attempted assassination of former United Energy System head Anatoly Chubais, he was charged with aiding and abetting terrorism and attempted mutiny.

The charges carry a maximum 20 year prison sentence.

Kvachkov denies the charges.

His defense team believes that the charges against Kvachkov are frivolous. Kvachkov, said he was accused of preparing a group of recruits from his People's Liberation Front of Russia armed with crossbows to carry out a coup.