Maya Akhmedova appealed the verdict

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Police officer Maya Akhmedova, found guilty of falsifying a criminal case against Dagestan resident Yulduz Kurashova, has appealed the verdict.

As reported by "Caucasian Knot," on May 26, a court in Khasavyurt found three Ministry of Internal Affairs officers guilty of falsifying a criminal case against local resident Yulduz Kurashova, but released them from punishment due to the expiration of the statute of limitations. Two security officers have been given suspended sentences for torturing Kurashova.

Police officer Maya Akhmedova appealed her May 26 conviction by the Khasavyurt City Police Department for falsifying the criminal case against local resident Yulduz Kurashova, the "Team Against Torture"*, an organization monitoring the case, told the "Caucasian Knot."

"She, or rather her lawyer, filed an appeal on June 8," the KPP* noted.

Kurashova herself did not appeal the verdict, but, according to the "Team Against Torture"*, she planned to contact the Minister of Internal Affairs of Dagestan after the verdict came into force, demanding that Akhmedova be dismissed from the Ministry of Internal Affairs (the other two officers involved in falsifying the case had already been dismissed from the Ministry of Internal Affairs). This appeal will now be postponed until Akhmedova's appeal is heard.

On March 26, 2020, security forces detained Yulduz Kurashova in Khasavyurt while she was riding in a taxi with a friend. According to Kurashova, she was beaten, insulted, and threatened with the loss of her parental rights and drug charges. Kurashova transferred 250,000 rubles to the security forces through an intermediary, but was still subject to criminal prosecution. The case against the security forces was opened after Kurashova complained of a harsh detention and forced incrimination in connection with drug trafficking. In December 2020, a Khasavyurt resident admitted in court to acting as an intermediary in transferring Kurashova's money to security forces.

In October 2022, the Khasavyurt City Court sentenced police officers Shamil Aliyev and Ramazan Saypulayev to 3.5 years in prison, finding them guilty of torturing Yulduz Kurashova and falsifying evidence in her criminal case. The court also found detective Maya Akhmedova complicit in the falsification, and she received a suspended sentence of one year. On December 15, 2022, the appellate court overturned the verdict and remanded the case for a retrial. Following the retrial, the court on April 27 sentenced Aliyev and Saypulayev to suspended sentences and acquitted Akhmedova. Kurashova then announced that she intended to appeal the verdict. On October 17, 2024, it was announced that the Supreme Court of Dagestan had overturned the verdict against three police officers in the case of torture of Khasavyurt resident Yulduz Kurashova and returned the case to the prosecutor's office. The case was sent to the Khasavyurt City Court for a third hearing.

Kurashova's story is an unusual case of a woman fighting for her rights, said Saida Sirazhudinova, President of the Center for the Study of Global Contemporary and Regional Issues "Caucasus. World. Development." "This is a very rare case. Most people understand that it's simply pointless to fight. And they retreat. There are a lot of fabrications. And very often, neither lawyers nor evidence work. But that doesn't mean we shouldn't fight. Her fight is, first and foremost, a fight for honor. This is especially important for women in the region. Otherwise, she will be reproached and looked at askance for the rest of her life," she told a "Caucasian Knot" correspondent.

* added to the Russian Ministry of Justice's register of foreign agents.

** Meta (owner of Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp) is banned in Russia.