Resident of Stavropol Territory accused of ties with terrorists

A 23-year-old resident of the Stavropol Territory is suspected of attempting to recruit several of his acquaintances to participate in a banned terrorist organization.

Paul Lukashevich, who worked as a barista in a cafe, was accused under two criminal articles, including aiding and abetting terrorist activities and public calls against the territorial integrity of the Russian Federation.

According to the law enforcers’ version, Paul Lukashevich tried to convince two of his acquaintances to join the “Freedom of Russia” Legion* (the Ukrainian paramilitary association “Freedom of Russia” Legion (another name, the “Freedom of Russia Legion”) is banned in Russia). Later, the investigators discovered the entries posted by Paul Lukashevich in a Telegram chat, presumably belonging to supporters of the banned organization, and suggested that the young man called for violence against FSB officers, the “ASTRA” publication reported.

A source reports that Paul Lukashevich tried to recruit a man and a woman back in 2023, but they filed a complaint about him to the police. The comments in a chat, also posted in 2023, were written by Paul Lukashevich in Ukrainian, the “SHOT” Telegram channel reports.

The accused young man faces up to 20 years of imprisonment under two criminal articles.

*On March 16, 2023, on the lawsuit lodged by the Russian General Prosecutor’s Office (GPO), the Supreme Court (SC) of the Russian Federation found the “Freedom of Russia” Legion as a terrorist organization and banned its activities in Russia.