Moscow court arrests Left Front coordinator Udaltsov on counts of justifying terrorism

MOSCOW. Jan 12 (Interfax) - Moscow's Basmanny District Court has placed Left Front coordinator Sergei Udaltsov under arrest on counts of justification of terrorism, the court told Interfax on Friday.

"The court ordered that Udaltsov be placed under arrest until February 15," the court said.

The defense asked the court not to send Udaltsov to a pretrial detention facility.

The hearing was held in camera at the request of investigators.

After the hearing, the defense lawyers said they disagreed with the court decision and would appeal it.

Udaltsov pleaded not guilty of justifying terrorism.

According to Udaltsov, investigators charged him with posts supporting "Marxist group" members from Ufa, designated as defendants in a criminal network case.

Udaltsov's detention was reported on Thursday. His residence was searched, and documents and electronic media were seized.

Udaltsov was sentenced to 4.5 years in a penitentiary in 2014 on counts of organizing mass unrest on Moscow's Bolotnaya Square on May 6, 2012, and preparations for further disturbances in Russia. He served the sentence and was released from the penitentiary in August 2017.