Two new arrests in the “Network” case

Two persons detained and arrested in the organization “Network” case , Mikhail Kulkov and Maxim Ivankin. About this OVD-Info learned from Elena Bogatova, the mother of the defendant of the same case, Ilya Shakursky.

The court in Penza arrested Kulkov and Ivankin until September.

Bogatova was waiting for a lawyer near the pre-trial detention center, when Ivankin and Kulkov were brought to the building. According to her information, their parents were informed about detention on July 4, and the court took place on July 5 at 14:00.

Alexei Kulkov, Mikhail’s father, told OVD-Info that young men were detained in Moscow, they did not have documents with them. Leninsky District Court of Penza arrested them until September 18. Alexei reported that his son and Maxim Ivankin were accused of organizing a terrorist community. Alexei Kulkov said that he saw his son and Ivankin on trial for several minutes while they were being led along the corridor. He noticed bruises and grazes on them.

• Prior to this, Ivankin and Kulkov were detained in Penza in March 2017 together with the anti-fascist Alexei Poltavets. Initially, they were accused of possession of drugs. According to Poltavets, after their arrest, they were tortured and beaten, demanding to testify against their friends from the anti-fascist milieu. Later Poltavets left Russia and since then didn’t meet Ivankin and Kulkov.

• In June 2018 it became known that the case of Ivankin and Kulkov was added to the case of the organization “Network”, which the investigation considers terrorist. Against Ivankin and Kulkov were initiated a case on preparation for the production or sale of drugs on a large scale (item “d” (in Russian . «г» ), part 4, article 228.1 of the Criminal Code, applying part 3 of Article 30 of the Criminal Code).

• Ivankin, Kulkov and Poltavets appear in the materials of the criminal case under their names or under pseudonyms – “Red”, “Ilya” and “Boris”.

• On July 4, it became known that another accused in the “Network” case, Dmitry Pchelintsev, was convoyed from pre-trial detention center No. 1 in Penza, presumably to St. Petersburg.

• On May 23, a friend of the defendants in the “Network” case Victoria Frolova was detained on the Russian-Ukrainian border. She was forced to testify on her Penza acquaintances, including Ivankin and Kulkov. In the testimonies signed by her, Ivankin and Kulkov were named members of group “5.11” of the “Network” organization. According to the prosecution, all the members of the “Network” conducted training with sticks in the forest, training on trail orienteering, first aid and learning to set traps.

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