MOSCOW, November 11 (RAPSI) – Associates of Vyacheslav Maltsev, an alleged leader of the Artpodgotovka civil movement banned as extremist, on Monday pleaded not guilty to preparing a terrorist attack and participating in a terrorist association, RAPSI reported from the Second Western District Military Court.

On Monday, the court began hearing a case against three alleged members of Artpodgotovka Andrey Tolkachev, Yury Korny and Andrey Kepti.

In November 2017, the Federal Security Service (FSB) stated that it suppressed activity of the movement’s conspicuous cell. According to investigators, on November 4 and 5, 2017, the group members planned to commit extremist actions in order to provoke mass riots. Alleged extremists were arrested with 15 bottles containing inflammatory liquid in their possession. Cells in Moscow, Kazan, Krasnoyarsk, Samara, Saratov and Krasnodar were also suppressed.

According to FSB, the unregistered movement was created by Maltsev to organize a revolution in Russia. He was put on the international wanted list and arrested in absentia.

In February 2018, the Supreme Court of Russia banned Artpodgotovka as extremist. Two months later, the Justice Ministry added the movement to the list of extremist organization.