The court has extended the pretrial detention of Shahin Shikhlinsky, the former head of the Azerbaijani diaspora in Yekaterinburg. He will be held in pretrial detention until at least May 31, 2026.
In the Cherkessk court, the state prosecution requested five years in a general regime colony for Jehovah's Witness with a disability, Elena Menchikova. She is accused of participating in an extremist organization.
According to investigators, Menchikova’s actions undermine security and threaten the integrity of the state. She participated in meetings of Jehovah's Witnesses and kept relevant literature.
In court, the believer did not deny that she professed the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses, calling it her constitutional right. However, she noted that she has nothing to do with politics and has never undermined Russian statehood.
In 2020, a criminal case was opened against the woman for participation in the activities of an extremist organization (Part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code). According to investigators, the believer “sang songs” and “prayed to Jehovah God.”