Former official from Stavropol Territory repeatedly sentenced in absentia in case on fakes about Russian Army

The Basmanny District Court of Moscow found Maria Mamedova, a former employee of the Stavropol Territorial Department of the Russian Ministry of Justice (MoJ), earlier convicted in a criminal case on promoting terrorism, guilty of spreading fakes about the Russian Armed Forces and sentenced her in absentia to eight years of imprisonment in a penal colony. That was reported by the “Mediazona”* portal.

The “Caucasian Knot” has reported that natives of Stavropol Territory Denis Mamedov and Maria Mamedova, who left Russia, were accused of spreading fakes about the Russian Armed Forces and were put on the wanted list. In April, Denis Mamedov was sentenced in absentia to 8.5 years of imprisonment in a penal colony. Furthermore, criminal cases on promoting terrorism were instituted against Denis Mamedov and Maria Mamedova. On June 27, on the charges of promoting terrorism, Maria Mamedova was sentenced in absentia to 14 years, and Denis Mamedov – to 16 years of imprisonment in a penal colony.

After the mobilization began, Maria Mamedova, who worked as a human resources specialist at the forensic examination centre of the Russian Ministry of Justice (MoJ), was asked to organize a fundraiser for Russian militaries. Maria Mamedova refused to organize a fundraiser and declared that she did not support the special military operation (SMO) in Ukraine. The woman began to be subjected to pressure at work, and in October 2022, she and her husband decided to leave Russia for the United States. After leaving, the couple actively posted pacifist materials on social networks.

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