The head of the incident group, Alexey Kortnev, confirmed that he faced a lawsuit following an episode in a bar in Novosibirsk involving an insult to a police officer. He discussed the matter in a conversation with a major news agency.
He said he would coordinate with his attorney and travel to Novosibirsk. He added that all actions would occur within the bounds of the law, expressing the belief that the accusation was not earned. He offered his assessment of the situation.
The criminal case against Kortnev was opened under Article 319 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation, which covers insulting a representative of law enforcement. The investigation is being handled by the department of the Investigative Committee that processes particularly important cases.
According to media reports, in February 2023 Kortnev allegedly made an obscene gesture toward a law enforcement officer. This reportedly happened after firefighters and police officers arrived at the club where the artist was scheduled to perform, reporting smoke in the building. The concert was canceled and Kortnev was detained as a result.