Dagestani activist Bochieva claims pressure on court

In Makhachkala, a court refused to question 20 out of 35 witnesses in a case on an extremist organization, and pressure is being put on the court, Larisa Bochieva claimed. A case against Larisa Bochieva has been falsified, however, to achieve a fair verdict, several years of proceedings may be required, an advocate believes.

The “Caucasian Knot” has reported that it became known that in Makhachkala, a court extended for three months the pre-trial restriction measure in the form of limiting certain actions of Larisa Bochieva (Bachieva). Earlier, the activist had been arrested on the charge of creating a cell of the extremist organization “USSR”*.

Larisa Bochieva pleads completely not guilty. “The organization ‘Executive Committee of the USSR’ has never been recognized by anyone as an extremist organization. No one ever warned us that our activities could be criminal,” the activist noted.

There is no crime, and the indictment states that there are no victims in the case, Larisa Bochieva has added. “I’ve been told that the case is connected with my political and civic position and that no one would let the system be broken,” the activist has emphasized.

According to the Larisa Bochieva’s version, her elderly mother and sick father need her help, but the court does not let her visit them.

Larisa Bochieva also claimed pressure from the prosecutor’s office and the investigators during court hearings.

Patimat Abdullaeva, a former advocate of Larisa Bochieva, believes that the case has been completely fabricated.

“Larisa Bochieva, despite being intimidated, does not fully admit her guilt. There were organizations of the ‘Citizens of the USSR’* in different cities of Russia, but there are no facts about their connection with each other. It’s just that supporters of the revival of the USSR appeared in different cities,” the advocate noted.

Mikhail Akhmetiev, an expert of the “SOVA” Research Centre**, notes that there is very little information about the activities of the “Executive Committee of the USSR”.

“The few materials of the Dagestani organization of ‘citizens of the USSR’* which could be found contain no noticeable anti-Semitic propaganda,” Mikhail Akhmetiev stated.

*In 2019, the Supreme Court (SC) of the Komi Republic recognized the “Union of Rus’ Slavic Forces” (one of the group of movements that also includes “USSR Citizens”) as an extremist organization’. Several more organizations were included in the list of extremist organizations, the name of which mentions the abbreviation of USSR.

**On August 17, 2023, the First Court of Appeal of General Jurisdiction approved the decision made earlier in April by the Moscow City Court to liquidate the “SOVA” Human Rights Centre. The “SOVA” Research Centre is included by the Russian Ministry of Justice (MoJ) into the register of foreign agents.