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AzerNEWS Staff

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A court in the Russian republic of Daghestan has sentenced activist Larisa Bachieva to six years in prison for allegedly organising activities linked to the banned group Union of Slavic Forces of Russia, which rejects the legitimacy of the Russian Federation and claims the Soviet Union was never legally dissolved, AzerNEWS reports via OC Media.

The ruling was issued on 1 July by the Sovetsky District Court in Makhachkala. In addition to the prison term, the court imposed one year of restricted liberty after her release and barred her from holding leadership positions in public organisations for five years. Prosecutors had sought an eight-year sentence.

Bachieva’s lawyer, Patimat Abdullaeva, described the punishment as disproportionate and said the verdict would be appealed. She also compared the case to other high-profile prosecutions, arguing that the sentencing was excessive in relation to similar cases.

According to investigators, Bachieva headed a local structure of the movement known as the Makhachkala Executive Committee of the People’s Deputies of the USSR, which authorities consider part of the banned organisation. The group was declared extremist and outlawed by Russia’s Supreme Court in 2019.

Authorities allege she organised meetings, recruited members, and promoted the view that the Soviet Union still exists de jure, urging participants to reject Russian state institutions, including refusal to pay taxes and comply with legal obligations. Prosecutors claimed around 110 meetings were held.

Bachieva denied all charges during the trial, with her defence arguing that the case was fabricated and that the court refused to hear a significant portion of defence witnesses. The lawyer also challenged the legal basis for applying the extremist designation across regions, arguing that no relevant ruling existed from Daghestan’s courts.

Members of the broader “Citizens of the USSR” movement and affiliated groups often reject Russian state documents and institutions. Russian authorities have repeatedly launched criminal cases against alleged members in various regions, stating that such prosecutions are aimed at countering extremism and protecting the constitutional order.