MOSCOW, May 3 (RAPSI) – The Moscow District Military Court will review a criminal case against three members and heads of subunits of Misanthropic Division extremist organization, prohibited in Russia, the Investigative Committee announced on Wednesday.

According to investigators, defendants in the criminal case are Vitaly Tsaruk, Victor Pekhterev and Cyril Khalepo, charged with nine instances of criminal activity of terrorist and extremist nature.

On April 10, Russian authorities launched a criminal case against Ruslan Pavlyuk, alleged head of a Rostov-on-Don cell of the organization. Allegedly Pavlyuk was participating as a member of the extremist organization and propagated extremist ideas.

In the summer of 2016, Russian investigators launched probe into Dmitry Pavlov, citizen of Belarus and an alleged organizer of the Misanthropic Division extremist online community. The organization was allegedly founded in October 2013 and in 2014, when revolutionary movements started in Ukraine, the organization’s activity assumed an international character and became more radical, according to Russia’s Investigative Committee.

Misanthropic Division created branches in 19 countries including Russia, Belarus, Ukraine, Germany, France, Poland, England and other European states. Pavlov and his associates promote on the social media racist and neo-Nazi ideas; publicly call to terrorism and extremism; “incite hatred and enmity for a number of nationalities; speak disrespectfully of the Days of War Glory and memorable dates in Russia connected with defense of fatherland,” former spokesman for the Investigative Committee Vladimir Markin said earlier.