Defendant accused of plotting terror act in Rostov-on-Don admits his guilt

The North-Caucasian District Military   Court considers a case against Arthur Panov, a 19-year-old resident of the town of Krasnodon of the Lugansk Region of Ukraine, and Maxim Smyshlyaev, a resident of Rostov, accused of plotting a terror act. At the trial, Arthur Panov has admitted his guilt in manufacturing and storing of an explosive device and, in part, in plotting of a terror act.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that Ukrainian citizen Arthur Panov is charged of plotting a terror act in Rostov-on-Don, and Maxim Smyshlyaev, a 34-year-old historian, is accused of aiding and abetting Arthur Panov.

After the pronouncement of the indictment, Arthur Panov has claimed that he admits his guilt of manufacturing and storing an explosive device, of public justification of terrorism, and, in part, of plotting a terror act. However, he denies his guilt of inducing Maxim Smyshlyaev to commitment of a terror act.

Arthur Panov has again claimed that the Russian court has no right to judge him and demanded to extradite him to Ukraine. Meanwhile, the defendant has also noted that after the detention, "while being kept at the SIZO-2 (pre-trial prison) of the city of Taganrog, he was subjected to pressure."

Maxim Smyshlyaev has claimed that he pleads completely not guilty. According to Maxim Smyshlyaev, he tried to dissuade Arthur Panov from committing a terror act.

Full text of the article is available on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’.