Areg Schepikhin, a blogger kidnapped at Moscow’s Yaroslavsky railway station on June 3rd, has been detained in a pre-trial detention center on extremism charges. According to the capital’s courts, Schepikhin’s arrest is for a period of two months.

Schepikhin is accused of inciting hatred and calling for extremism. The criminal case against him falls under Part 2 of Article 280 and paragraph “a” of Part 2 of Article 282 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation.

The Zamoskvoretsky Court of Moscow held the hearing without journalists or close friends of the entrepreneur present. Footage released by the court indicates that Schepikhin had been severely beaten.

Lawyer Vadim Bagaturia stated that Schepikhin could face up to 10 years in prison. Simultaneously, a criminal case has been opened regarding the kidnapping, with six individuals charged, potentially facing up to 15 years in prison.

A video surfaced online on June 3rd depicting the kidnapping. The video showed three men forcibly seizing a person at a fast-food establishment. Schepikhin’s mother identified him as the individual in the video. Prior to the incident, he had posted several offensive videos on his social media accounts.

Schepikhin’s mother stated that she had spoken to him shortly before the kidnapping and noticed nothing out of the ordinary. He contacted her the following day.

Akhmed Dudaev, a minister from the Chechen Republic, commented on the incident, stating that it was not a kidnapping but a detention carried out by law enforcement officers. The Ministry of Internal Affairs also issued a statement regarding the businessman’s kidnapping.