A court has recognized the evidence gathered by the Russia’s Investigative Committee sufficient to convict one of organizers of extremist community and gang “Battle organization of Russian Nationalists” Ilya Goryachev. He was found guilty of crimes under part 1 of article 282.1 of the RF penal Code (creation of an extremist group), part 1 of article 209 (creation of a gang and management of it), paragraphs “a”, “g” “h” and “k” of part 2 of article 105 (murder) and part 3 of article 222 (illegal circulation of firearms, explosives and explosive devices).
The court and investigators have revealed that in mid-2008 in the city of Moscow Ilya Goryachev, Nikita Tikhonov and other persons, keeping radical nationalistic views, following the motives of ideological and national hatred and enmity set up the extremist community and a stable armed group and gave them the name of Militant Organization of Russian Nationalists (BORN). The aim of the community was com and national hatred and enmity mitting extremist crimes and attacks on citizens – committing murders motivated by ideological, encroachment on the lives of law enforcement agents to avenge for their legal activity and other crimes. Alexey Korshunov, Mikhail Volkov, Maxim Baklagin, Vyacheslav Isayev, Yuri Tikhomirov and other persons of radical extremist views took part in the gang and its crimes in different time from mid-2008 to March 2011. The gang committed tens of crimes, including the murder of judge of Moscow city court Eduard Chuvashov, Lawyer Stanislav Markelov, leaders of the so called anti-fascist movements Fyodor Filatov, Ilya Dzhaparidze and Ivan Khutorskoy, Thai boxing world champion Muslim Abdullayev, citizens Ruslan Khalilov, Soso Khachikyan, attempted murders of Ramazan Nurichuyev and police officer Gagik Benyaminyan. It was Goryachev who ordered Tikhonov to kill lawyer Stanislav Markelov, whom he hated and was an enemy of on ideological bases and because the latter had conducted his professional activity by protecting the rights of the victims, who adhered to antifascism views. All the murders planned by Goryachev had to be carried out with especial cynicism and cruelty, resonate in wider public and attract as much attention as possible.
In order to support internal discipline, heighten stamina and ensure proper battle training the leaders and members of the gang actively worked out, learned the tactics of search operations and intelligence in urban conditions and in the woods, secrecy methods, how to use cold arms and firearms, how to make and use explosive devices. To ensure the results of the attacks the gangsters had found about the victims’ residences or the places where they stayed, made schemes indicating the locations of the chosen objects, figured how they could get in and out of their victims’ houses.
The leaders and members of the gang had explosive devices, grenades, different kinds and modifications of firearms and ammunition. Newcomers were provided with firearms and ammunition too. The extremist community and the gang were highly-organized and stable. The members were interconnected based on adherence to radical nationalistic views, ideological and national intolerance, hatred and enmity.
On 8 may 2013, Goryachev, who had been hiding from the investigators, was detained in the city of Belgrade, Serbia and extradited in Russia in November 2013. He did not admit his guilt in the crimes, however, other organizers and members of the gang testified against him. There also other evidence proving his guilt.
The court has sentenced Goryachev to life in prison to be served in a special-security penal colony.
Earlier a court sentenced Tikhonov, Isayev and Baklagin to life in prison, Volkov to 24 years in prison.
At present the investigation against other individuals involved in the said crimes is ongoing.
Head of Media Relations V.I. Markin
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