A resident of Zabaykalsky Krai, a region in eastern Siberia, has been sentenced to 11 years in connection with the “Artpodgotovka” case.

The 2nd Eastern District Military Court has sentenced Nikolay Lavrentyev, a resident of Zabaykalsky Krai, an eastern Siberian region, to 11 years in prison after finding him guilty of public incitement to terrorism (Part 2, Article 205.2 of the Criminal Code) and participation in a terrorist organisation (Part 2, Article 205.5 of the Criminal Code). This was reported today by the court’s press service.

According to investigators, Lavrentyev was a member of the “Artpodgotovka” movement, which was declared terrorist in 2021. Investigators allege that he contacted a representative of the organisation via Telegram and subsequently sent messages to acquaintances who were unaware of it, “aimed at raising awareness about the activities and slogans” of “Artpodgotovka.”

The press service of the military court also notes that Lavrentyev posted a comment in a “public community on the Telegram messenger” which contained calls for the violent overthrow of the constitutional order in the Russian Federation.

According to the court’s verdict, Lavrentyev will spend the first three years in prison and the rest of the sentence in a high-security penal colony. The court also banned him from posting online comments for two years.