Two Muslim women refused to plead guilty of financing militants

On October 24, a new trial was launched by the North-Caucasian District Military Court on financing terrorism. Two young women, Anastasia Shilikhina and Yulduz Alieva, both born in 1991, are in the prisoner's dock, the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent reports.

The women have spent more than 11 months in custody; they are accused of raising 23,050 roubles for militants' needs.

At the court session, Anastasia Shilikhina, a resident of the Volgograd Region, and Yulduz Alieva, a native of Dagestan, have denied the accusations of financing terrorism.

"We are charged with the fact that Yulduz Alieva created a group in the social network "VKontakte" aimed at financing terrorism, but we strongly disagree with this!" Olga Zabelina, an Alieva's advocate, told the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent after the session.

She explained that the aim of the group "was charity; its members tried to help the needy Muslims of Volgograd." "The Muslim girls-members of the group collected food, medicines and diapers for their fellow believers," Ms Zabelina explained her client's position.

Full text of the article is available on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’.