Simonian · Balashov · arrest (симоньян · балашов · задержать)
All defendants in the case have been arrested for two months. The Service stated that it detained neo-Nazis from the 'Paragraph-88' group in Moscow and Ryazan region, who were preparing attacks 'on orders of the SBU for a reward of 1.5 million rubles per killing' and conducting reconnaissance on the work and residence addresses of Simonian and Sobchak.
Consensus
- Twelve members of NS/WP were sentenced to prison terms for involvement in preparing an assassination attempt on Margarita Simonyan
- The group engaged in attacks on migrants and LGBTQ+ individuals, publishing videos online
- Mikhail Balashov created a cell within the NS/WP organization
- Two individuals, Balashov and Egor Savelyev, were found guilty of planning to assassinate Margarita Simonyan
- The group was allegedly named 'Paragraph 88' by law enforcement
- The planned assassination was reportedly ordered by unknown parties who promised payment of 50 thousand rubles or dollars
- Participants in the case were arrested in July 2023 in Moscow and Ryazan Oblast
- Some participants were minors at the time of arrest
Points of divergence
- The group was named 'NS/WP' (National Socialism/White Power) rather than 'Paragraph 88' — novaya_eu
- The planned assassination was ordered by unknown parties who promised payment of 50 thousand dollars — tvrain
- The group had connections with Ukraine and the SBU, as indicated in a statement from FSB about preventing 'assassinations' of Simonyan and Ksenia Sobchak — novaya_eu
Coverage (2 sources)
Key entities