MOSCOW, November 13 (RAPSI) – Three alleged members of a notorious extremist group known as Militant Organization of Russian Nationalists (BORN) have pleaded guilty to some charges brought against them, including murder, weapon possession and attempted assassination on law enforcement officers, RAPSI learnt in the Moscow Regional Court on Thursday.

Vyacheslav Isaev, Maxim Baklagin and Mikhail Volkov pleaded guilty, except the fourth defendant Yuri Tikhomirov.

The extremist group BORN is charged with racketeering, illegal weapons trafficking, and several counts of homicide - including the deaths of Moscow City Court judge Eduard Chuvashov, attorney Stanislav Markelov, and several leaders of Russian anti-fascist movements.

Chuvashov was shot and killed in the stairwell of his Moscow apartment building in 2010. During his career with the Moscow City Court, he reviewed over 20 high-profile criminal cases, some of which involved murder on ethnic grounds.

Markelov was shot and killed in Moscow on Jan. 19, 2009. According to the investigation, Markelov was murdered for his active participation in an anti-fascist movement.

The group also stands accused of having attempted 11 murders.

Nikita Tikhonov, who is deemed to be one of the group’s leaders, was convicted and sentenced in May 2011 to life in prison for the murder of Markelov and Novaya Gazeta journalist Anastasia Baburova. His accomplice Yevgenia Khasis was given 18 years behind bars.

In late September, the Moscow City Court sentenced Tikhonov, who pleaded guilty to killing federal judge Eduard Chuvashov, to 18 years in prison.
Investigation regarding Ilya Goryachev, another supposed leader of the BORN, is still in progress. Goryachev was placed on the international wanted list and in November 2013 extradited from Serbia. He was detained in Russia after the extradition.