Rights defenders explain heterogeneity of sentences for "USSR citizens"*

The severe sentence given to an elderly resident of the Karachay-Cherkessian Republic (KChR), who declared herself a "USSR citizen"*, fits into the general picture of the persecution of supporters of this movement. In 2023, they began to be given actual prison sentences more often, but this may be explained by the heterogeneous circumstances of their cases, and not by a certain toughening trend, human rights defenders believe.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that last April, in the KChR, a 60-year-old local woman, who treated herself as a "USSR citizen"*, was arrested. On December 28, 2023, it became known that the court sentenced her to 4.5 years in prison on charges of enticing people to take part in the banned organization "Union of Rus' Slavic Forces"*.

Significant differences in the severity of the punishments that courts assign to "USSR citizens"* depend primarily on the charges – supporters of this ideology in different cases may face more or less serious charges, Mikhail Akhmetiev, an expert at the SOVA Research Centre, has explained.

In his opinion, the mentioned articles apply most widely to Jehovah's Witnesses**.

The views of members of the "USSR" communities are based on a conspiracy theory of the world, Sergei Davidis, a lawyer and the head of the "Support for Political Prisoners. Memorial" project, has explained, noting that "USSR citizens"* began to be sentenced to real prison terms relatively recently.

However, he did not rule out that some of the "USSR citizens"* could call for violent actions.

*In 2019, the Supreme Court of the Komi Republic recognized the "Union of Rus' Slavic Forces" (one of the group of movements that also includes "USSR Citizens") as an extremist organization.

**396 Russian organizations of Jehovah's Witnesses are recognized as extremist, and their activities in Russia are banned by court's decision.