22:16, 4 December 2023

Arrest of Sochi activist Melikhova extended for three months

Marina Melikhova. Screenshot of the video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BfX7E6Lt4Zo

A court extended the arrest of activist Marina Melikhova, accused in a criminal case on discrediting the Russian Armed Forces, by three months. The above information has been reported by the “OVD-Info”* human rights project with reference to advocate Maria Spasibukhova.

The “Caucasian Knot” has reported that on October 7, it became known that in Sochi, a court extended the arrest of Marina Melikhova for two months, until December 5.

On June 21, the police detained Marina Melikhova in a criminal case on discrediting the Russian Armed Forces, after which the court took her into custody. In 2022, the activist was fined several times under the administrative article on discrediting the Russian Armed Forces.

Let us remind you that shortly before her arrest, Marina Melikhova announced that she associated the criminal prosecution against her with the pacifist videos that she had posted on the social media.

Marina Melikhova is a supporter of the “Citizens of the USSR”**. Earlier, the activist was sentenced for public calls for extremist activities and served more than two years of imprisonment, being released in the summer of 2022. After her release, Marina Melikhova complained about violence and violations of rights in places of detention.

*Included by the Russian Ministry of Justice (MoJ) into the register of foreign agents.

**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 “Citizens of the USSR”) as an extremist organization.

This article was originally published on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’ on December 4, 2023 at 04:05 pm MSK. To access the full text of the article, click here.

Source: Caucasian Knot