Yelena Menchikova near the court building in Cherkessk. November 2022

Yelena Menchikova near the court building in Cherkessk. November 2022

Yelena Menchikova near the court building in Cherkessk. November 2022

Unjust Verdicts

Court in Cherkessk Reviewed Yelena Menchikova's Case and Again Found Her Guilty of Extremism for Talking About the Bible

Karachay-Cherkessia

Yelena Menchikova, 59, was again found guilty - on January 23, 2024, Nauruz Shukurov, judge of the Cherkessk City Court, gave the woman with a disability a 4.5-year suspended sentence with a probation period of 2.5 years because of her religion.

As Yelena said in court, the charges boil down to the fact that she invited friends "to study the Holy Scriptures (Bible), ingluding singing songs together, praying, and studying religious articles." "I never imagined that in the Caucasus hospitality would turn out to be such a grave crime and that if would lead to punishment," the believer said. However, the indictment does not contain a specific description of how, when and under what circumstances Menchikova expressed extremism.

Yelena Menchikova in the courtroom. January 24, 2024
Yelena Menchikova in the courtroom. January 24, 2024

The prosecution of Yelena on religious grounds has been going on since December 2019. The first verdict — a 5-year suspended sentence and legal costs — was handed down to her in December 2021. Two months later, the court of appeal released her from paying court costs, and later the court of cassation sent the case for a new trial.

In Karachay-Cherkessia, four more of Jehovah's Witnesses have been prosecuted, and two of them have already received sentences for their faith. The world community calls on the Russian authorities "to drop charges and release all those detained for exercising their rights to freedom of religion or belief, freedom of expression, as well as the right to peaceful assembly and association."

The Case of Menchikova in Cherkessk

Case History
Yelena Menchikova, an architect from Cherkessk, came to the attention of law enforcement agencies in December 2019, when her house was searched for the first time. The criminal case was initiated in November 2020. The FSB accused the believer of participating in the activity of an extremist organization, and then also of involving others in it. According to the investigation, Yelena “developed a criminal plan” to discuss the Bible with others. In April 2021, the case went to court. Although Yelena has a disability, the prosecutor demanded that she be sent to prison for 5 years. In December 2021, the court gave Menchikova a 5-year suspended sentence and ordered her to pay all legal costs. The court of appeal released Yelena from these payments but left the sentence unchanged. In December 2022, the court of cassation returned the case to the court for a new trial. In January 2024, the court handed down a second guilty verdict – 4.5-year suspended sentence.
Timeline

Persons in case

Criminal case

Region:
Karachay-Cherkessia
Locality:
Cherkessk
Court case number:
12007910001000026
Initiated:
November 3, 2020
Current case stage:
the verdict entered into force
Investigating:
Branch of the Federal Security Service of Russia in the Karachay-Cherkess Republic
Articles of Criminal Code of Russian Federation:
282.2 (2), 282.2 (1.1)
Court case number:
1-279/2023
Court:
Черкесский городской суд Карачаево-Черкесской Республики
Judge:
Науруз Шукуров
Case History
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