An elderly woman from the Moscow region has been sentenced to seven years in prison in a case involving the “citizens of the USSR” movement.

The Preobrazhensky Court in Moscow has sentenced Galina Shustanova, a 64-year-old resident of Krasnogorsk, to seven years in a general regime penal colony on charges of organising the activities of an extremist organisation (Part 1, Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code) and participating in it (Part 2, Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code). This was reported to OVD-Info by a court observer attending the hearing.

Shustanova was taken into custody in the courtroom. The prosecutor had requested an eight-year prison sentence.

According to the prosecution, the elderly woman founded the “Soviet People” association, which continued the activities of the interregional public organisation “Citizens of the USSR.” In 2022, it was declared extremist (in fact, the court decision concerned a Samara-based “Citizens of the USSR” group).

The state prosecutor argued that the aim of the “Soviet People” group was to change the political regime and the Constitution and restore the USSR. Allegedly, several people joined the association and Shustanova collected money for its activities.

The elderly woman did not admit guilt. She insisted that she had no connection to the Samara “Citizens of the USSR” group.

“I have never gone against the country, I worked for it for 40 years. Yes, we discussed the special military operation, but we said nothing bad. I have been terrified all year because of these charges,” she said in her final statement (quote via SOTAvision).