Moscow court jails suspects from ‘Telegram network’ on charges of inciting riots during elections

On Friday, September 17, Moscow’s Basmanny District Court jailed suspects Dmitry Chebanov and Nikita Kreshchuk on charges of “inciting mass riots” amid this weekend’s State Duma elections.

According to the rights group Apologia Protesta, “the investigation considers Dmitry Chebanov the leader of a movement called ‘Chto Delat’.” Chebanov is the founder of a Telegram channel by the same name.

Investigators maintain that via Telegram chats, this alleged movement “called for participation in street protests in connection with the elections,” Apologia Protesta reported.

The court also remanded in custody two other suspects in the case, Alexey Kurlov and Zhanna Chernova, Interfax reported on Friday. All four suspects will remain in custody until November 14. 

In addition, the court placed a fifth suspect, graphic design student Maria Platonova, under house arrest until November 14. Platonova, who studies at HSE’s Art and Design School, also worked for municipal deputy Anastasia Bryukhanova’s electoral campaign.

On September 16, the Russian Investigative Committee reported the launch of a criminal case in connection with a group of at least 11 suspects from across seven of Russia’s regions, who allegedly “created a network of Telegram channels, in which they posted publications and carried out agitation aimed at organizing mass riots” during the State Duma elections.