MOSCOW, May 22 (RAPSI) – Three members of Misanthropic Division organization prohibited in Russia have pleaded guilty to extremism in part, RAPSI reports from the Moscow District Military Court on Monday.

According to investigators, defendants in the criminal case are Vitaly Tsaruk, Victor Pekhterev and Cyril Khalepo. They are charged with nine counts of extremist and terrorist crimes.

On Monday, defendants admitted that they had created, administrated groups in Vkontakte social network and published posts about Adolf Hitler there. However, they claimed that their actions could not be recognized as crimes of extremist nature.

Misanthropic Division was allegedly founded in October 2013. In 2014, when revolutionary movements started in Ukraine, the organization’s activity assumed an international character and became more radical, according to Russia’s Investigative Committee.

Misanthropic Division created branches in 19 countries including Russia, Belarus, Ukraine, Germany, France, Poland, England and other European states. Alleged leader of the organization Dmitry Pavlov and his associates promote on the social media racist and neo-Nazi ideas; publicly call to terrorism and extremism; “incite hatred and enmity for a number of nationalities; speak disrespectfully of the Days of War Glory and memorable dates in Russia connected with defense of fatherland,” former spokesman for the Investigative Committee Vladimir Markin said earlier.

Probe into Pavlov, a citizen of Belarus, was launched in Russia in the summer of 2016.