Defence demands to release activist Marina Melikhova from SIZO

Marina Melikhova, an activist from Kuban (Krasnodar Territory), remains at the SIZO (pre-trial prison), although her prison term has expired, her advocate has stated demanding from the SIZO to release Marina.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported citing the advocate that Melikhova should have been released on May 31. On this day, her sentence expired, because a day in custody is equated to 1.5 days of serving the sentence, the advocate has explained.

According to Maria Spasibukhova, the advocate, with account of the above recalculation of the stay at the SIZO, Melikhova should have been released, but this has not yet happened: Employees of the FSIN (Russian Federal Penitentiary Service) are awaiting an appeal hearing, which "due to red tape and judicial errors has not yet taken place."

"Keeping a convict in custody beyond the term prescribed by the sentence will mean that the citizen is illegally deprived of her freedom," Spasibukhova has noted, according to the human rights project "OVD-Info"*.

Let us remember that earlier Melikhova was convicted of public calls for extremist activities and served more than two years in jail, being released in the summer of 2022.

*Included by the Russian Ministry of Justice (MoJ) into the register of foreign agents.