17:56, 5 October 2024

Activist Larisa Bochieva released from SIZO

Larisa Bochieva. Screenshot of a photo posted on Shamil Khadulaev's Telegram channel on October 4, 2024 https://t.me/khadulaev/9032

The Supreme Court (SC) of Dagestan has overturned the decision to extend the arrest of Larisa Bochieva, accused of creating a cell of an extremist organization. This was reported by Shamil Khadulaev, the chairman of the Dagestani Public Oversight Commission (POC) in his Telegram channel.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that Larisa Bochieva (also referred to as Larisa Bachieva) was taken into custody on charges of creating a cell of the extremist organization "USSR"*. The case was falsified, but several years of legal proceedings may be needed to achieve a fair verdict, her advocate believes.

The people who treat themselves as USSR citizens are an informal community; they unite in various organizations, Alexander Verkhovsky, a human rights defender, has explained. An expert from the SOVA Research Centre** and a deputy editor-in-chief of the "Chernovik" outlet have stated that Dagestani supporters of radical leftist movements had not been noticed in any anti-Semitic antics and actions like those organized by USSR*supporters in other Russian regions.

*First public organizations denying the collapse of the USSR appeared back in 1995. According to the Russian FSB, the movement had 150,000 followers in 2018. In 2019, the Supreme Court 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.

**On August 17, 2023, the First Court of Appeal of General Jurisdiction approved the decision taken earlier in April by the Moscow City Court to liquidate the SOVA Human Rights Centre.

This article was originally published on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’ on October 4, 2024 at 08:01 pm MSK. To access the full text of the article, click here.

Source: Caucasian Knot