A court in the Russian republic of Karachay-Cherkessia has found nine local residents guilty of extremism for creating or being members of the ‘Citizens of the USSR’.
‘Citizens of the USSR’ was declared an extremist organisation in 2022 by the Samara Regional Court. Adherents to the movement — which has no centralised structure or leadership — believe that the dissolution of the Soviet Union was illegal, and that the Russian Federation is not a legitimate entity. There are no known violent incidents connected to the movement.
Prosecutors argued that the members of the movement refused to recognise the authority of the Russian government or its laws, and had refused to pay taxes, utility bills, and bank loans — all of which, according to investigators, was to their ‘personal benefit’.
In addition, one of the alleged organisers was charged with illegal possession of explosives, while another was charged with illegal possession of firearms. A further defendant was charged only with participating (not organising) an extremist group.
In its verdict on 14 July, the City Court of Cherkessk sentenced five of the defendants to between five and eight years in prison. The other four were given suspended sentences, though the court did not specify their lengths. All of them were also banned from participating in public organisations — three for six years and the remaining six for five years. In addition, all were sentenced to one year of restricted freedom, and two of them were fined ₽20,000 ($220).
Charges related to the organisation of extremist activities were brought against ten individuals — nine of whom were convicted, with one other figure involved only under charges related to weapons or explosives. According to the court’s official records, there were in fact 11 defendants in the case. The exact charges brought against each defendant were not fully disclosed, and it is possible that some charges were reclassified during the trial.
None of the convicted individuals admitted guilt, the court noted.
Further details are known about the prosecution of one of the defendants — Aslan Naptugov. He was detained on 24 May and sentenced the following day to six days of administrative arrest for alleged petty hooliganism. After serving this sentence, he remained in custody as part of the criminal case. According to Caucasian Knot, five defendants were held in pre-trial detention, while the others were released under travel restrictions. The trial began in August 2023.
According to the indictment, the group operated in the republic from March 2019 to June 2020. The defendants refused to recognise the legitimacy of the Russian authorities and claimed to be ‘citizens of the USSR’ — a position that led investigators to classify the group as extremist. Prosecutors alleged that the community’s goals included personal gain — avoiding payment of debts, taxes and utilities — as well as the illegal circulation of weapons and explosives.
Elizaveta Chukharova
