The cassation court approved the sentence to Dagestan resident Makhmud Ibadulaev - two years and two months in prison. He was found guilty of participating in the activities of an extremist organization called “Citizens of the USSR” (Part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code).

“There is a decision of the plenum of the Supreme Court, which says that a person can be brought to criminal liability under Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation only if he continued to engage in extremist activities after the official publication of information on recognizing the relevant organization as extremist and banning its activities on the territory of the Russian Federation. The courts did not take this point into account,” noted lawyer Patimat Abdulaeva.

According to investigators, for three years Ibadulaev called for refusal to pay taxes and housing and utility bills, from fulfilling civil obligations, and promoted hatred of government bodies of the Russian Federation.

“Citizens of the USSR” is a movement that does not recognize the Russian Federation as a state. Its participants urge not to sign any documents and notify government officials of the need to relieve them from their positions.