Maria Menshikova
Maria Menshikova, born 1994, Moscow. Charges: Article 205.2 part 2, Russian Criminal Code (Public incitement to terrorism or justification of terrorism (using media or the internet)); “Maria Menshikova case on public justification of terrorism”. Sentence (September 30, 2024): 7 years' imprisonment in absentia, prohibition to administer websites for 4 years. Status: not in Russia.
In brief
Moscow · Moscow · Journalists · Anti-war cases, Terrorism cases
Sentence
7 years
imprisonment in absentia, prohibition to administer websites for 4 years
Upheld December 12, 2024
Charges
- Article 205.2 part 2, Russian Criminal Code — Public incitement to terrorism or justification of terrorism (using media or the internet)
Full wording of the charges
The reason for the case was a post with appeals to write letters in support of those prosecuted for arson of military commissions, published in the DOXA community in VKontakte, with a screenshot of a DOXA newsletter on the same topic with the title "15 military commissions caught fire in spring, and how many will catch fire in summer?" and an appeal to write to Denis Serdyukov, Ilya Farber and Dzmitry Lyamin. Later another episode appeared in the case - with an appeal to write to Belarusians Denis Dikun, Dzmitry Ravich and Aleh Molchanau, convicted in Homel for setting fire to a relay cabinet at the railway station.
Latest event
December 12, 2024 — appeal
The court upheld the verdict.
Timeline
· Appeal ruling
upheld
· First-instance verdict
guilty verdict · 7 years
· Added to the Rosfinmonitoring list of “terrorists and extremists”
· Preventive measure: arrest in absentia
· Persecution begins
Maria Menshikova case on public justification of terrorism
Criminal case
Maria Menshikova case on public justification of terrorism
Thematic group: Anti-war case
Details and sources
Full summary
Editor of the online magazine DOXA. In April 2023, a case was filed against her for public justification of terrorism, and in April 2024, another under the same article. The cases were merged. Menshikova left Russia even before the first case was initiated. She was arrested in absentia. In the first case, the reason was a post with the cover of the DOXA newsletter, which read "15 military recruitment centres caught fire in spring, how many will catch fire in summer?" and suggested writing letters to Denis Serdyukov, Ilya Farber and Dmitry Lyamin, who were being prosecuted for arson attacks on military recruitment centres. The second reason was to write letters to Belarusians Denis Dikun, Dzmitry Ravich and Aleh Molchanau, convicted in Homel for setting fire to a relay cabinet at a railway station. On 30 September 2024 Menshikova was sentenced in absentia to seven years.
All fields of the record
- Citizenship
- Russia
- Preventive measures
- arrest in absentia
Other people prosecuted under Article 205.2 part 2, Russian Criminal Code
Under the same article, not necessarily in the same case.