An activist of the extremist national battalion, a participant in the blockade of Crimea, was detained in the Kherson region

CrimeaPRESS reports:

FSB operatives detained in the Kherson region a participant in the energy and water blockade of Crimea, a member of the Ukrainian nationalist battalion, who, among other things, also headed the genetic cell of the banned «Mejlis» — an extremist organization banned on the territory of the Russian Federation.

A citizen of Russia, a resident of Genichesk, born in 1973, who was involved in the activities of an illegal armed group, was detained. It was established that in 2014 he voluntarily joined and took an active part in the activities of the Crimean Tatar Battalion named after I. Noman Chelebidzhikhan» (recognized as a terrorist organization and banned in the Russian Federation — ed.)whose goals, in addition to the implementation of the food, energy and water blockade of Crimea from the Ukrainian border, are to violate the integrity of the Russian Federation, as well as the struggle, including armed, for the return of the peninsula to Ukraine— reported in the Office of the FSB of Russia in the Kherson region.

«Activist» recruited new members to the organization to participate in illegal activities and financed the creation of a base in the Kherson region. The Investigative Committee clarified that the suspect from the building materials store he owns supplied free of charge goods for the equipment of the base of the banned national battalion, located near the Chongar checkpoint.

The defendant also provided a hotel in the city of Genichesk that belonged to him for accommodation of the leaders of the illegal movement. In addition, the suspect, heading a cell of an illegal armed group in the city of Genichesk, selected people to participate in it, persuaded taxi drivers to transport the battalion members free of charge from their places of residence to duty in the village of Chongar.

And that’s not all «exploits»: from 2014 to 2015, he blocked the passage of vehicles delivering consumer goods to residents of the Republic of Crimea.

By his actions, he harmed the economic and political interests of Russian citizens and created a threat to the national security of the Russian Federation. Criminal investigation continues— told the Investigative Committee.

On the grounds of a crime under Part 2 of Art. 208 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (“participation in an armed formation not provided for by federal law, as well as participation on the territory of a foreign state in an armed formation not provided for by the legislation of this state, for purposes contrary to the interests of the Russian Federation”). The detainee faces up to 15 years in prison. He is currently in custody.

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