MOSCOW. April 16 (Interfax) - An alleged former senior activist of international pan-Islamic party Hizb ut-Tahrir, which is banned from pursuing any activities in Russia, is due to go on trial in Moscow soon.
"The Moscow Prosecutor's Office has approved charges against 44-year-old national of Uzbekstan Timur Malsagov. The case has been passed over to the Moscow City Court," the press service of the prosecutor's office told Interfax on Wednesday. "The accused is in custody."
"He took an active part in organizing and carrying through meetings of the banned organization held in various residential buildings in Moscow at which ideological literature was studied and interpretation skills were taught to ensure successful propaganda of ideas and recruitment of new followers," the press service said.
"Malsagov and fellow offenders organized local branches, looked for weapons and tried to coordinate the activities of members of the terrorist organization in getting ready for the forcible seizure of power and forcible change of the constitutional system of the Russian Federation," it said.
Malsagov is charged with organizing activities for an entity that is qualified as a terrorist organization in Russia and that is prohibited from conducting any activities in the country, and with preparations for a coup.
Malsagov and other alleged members of Hizb ut-Tahrir were arrested by Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB) on November 7, 2012, the press service said, adding that six of them had been convicted already.
Hizb ut-Tahrir, whose full name is Hizb ut-Tahrir al-Islamic (Islamic Liberation Party), had its activities in Russia banned by the Supreme Court on February 4, 2003, at the request of the Prosecutor General's Office and in response to an initiative and evidence from the FSB.