17:40, 22 March 2017

Karaulova’s advocates point to contradictions of verdict to instructions of SC’s Presidium

Advocate Ilya Novikov. Photo: Anton Naymlyuk (RFE/RL)

The actions of Varvara Karaulova are not under the definition of participation in a terrorist community, which was given by the Presidium of the Supreme Court (SC) of Russia, said her advocate Ilya Novikov. According to her defence, the result of the trial will be parents’ attempts to hide information about their children’s the contacts with militants.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that today the SC refused to grant the defence's request to acquit Karaulova, who had been sentenced to 4.5 years of imprisonment on charges of an attempt to join the terrorist organization "Islamic State" (IS), banned in Russia. The defence intends to file a complaint to the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR).

According to Mr Novikov, Karaulova was convicted only as an example to other young people, in order to prevent their possible involvement in terrorist organizations through contacts with recruiters.

The advocate believes that the prosecution acted in bad faith and put pressure on the court. The allegations that Karaulova intended to become a suicide bomber after coming to Syria, were treated by Ilya Novikov as "unjustified."

Full text of the article is available on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’.

Author: Oleg Krasnov

Source: CK correspondent