Muslim woman from Adygea treats her criminal case as prosecution for faith

Under pressure of law enforcers from Adygea, Larisa Minosyants, a newly converted Muslim, has signed a testimony, which formed the basis of a criminal case on justifying terrorism.

As Ms Minosyants herself told the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent, her problems with law enforcers started back in January.

"Two employees of a [power body] came to our home, presenting themselves as Adam and Murat. They showed their IDs and offered to go with them to the police station for a talk. I [with my mother] followed them there. They were persistent and didn't ask for my consent; Murat said, [that] if I didn't confess, 'they'd rope me to the car and drag across the field – then, I'd confess," Larisa Minosyants has stated.

She noted that law enforcers asked about her conversion to Islam; whether she visited a mosque, and with whom she communicated. "Then they began accusing me for alleged posting some prohibited article in social networks. But this article was not on the list of materials prohibited by 'Rosfinmonitoring' (Russian Federal Financial Monitoring Service, – note of the "Caucasian Knot")," Larisa Minosyants has explained.

She asserts that in exchange for a confession of guilt, she was promised that the punishment would be limited to an administrative fine. "And if not, there may be problems with the law. I was scared and signed everything they gave me, and just read what was written there," Ms Minosyants said.

She learned about the criminal case against her when she got a job and tried to take a certificate of the absence of her criminal record. She believes the prosecution has to do with her religion.

This article was originally published on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’ on September 3, 2020 at 00:36 am MSK. To access the full text of the article, click here.