Court in Cherkessk Reviewed Yelena Menchikova's Case and Again Found Her Guilty of Extremism for Talking About the Bible

Yelena Menchikova, 59, was again found guilty - on January 23, 2024, Nauruz Shukurov, judge of the Cherkessk City Court, gave the woman with a disability a 4.5-year suspended sentence with a probation period of 2.5 years because of her religion.

As Yelena said in court, the charges boil down to the fact that she invited friends "to study the Holy Scriptures (Bible), ingluding singing songs together, praying, and studying religious articles." "I never imagined that in the Caucasus hospitality would turn out to be such a grave crime and that if would lead to punishment," the believer said. However, the indictment does not contain a specific description of how, when and under what circumstances Menchikova expressed extremism.

Yelena Menchikova in the courtroom. January 24, 2024

The prosecution of Yelena on religious grounds has been going on since December 2019. The first verdict — a 5-year suspended sentence and legal costs — was handed down to her in December 2021. Two months later, the court of appeal released her from paying court costs, and later the court of cassation sent the case for a new trial.

In Karachay-Cherkessia, four more of Jehovah's Witnesses have been prosecuted, and two of them have already received sentences for their faith. The world community calls on the Russian authorities "to drop charges and release all those detained for exercising their rights to freedom of religion or belief, freedom of expression, as well as the right to peaceful assembly and association."