Hangalas Court Reconsiders 'AUE' Extremism Case After Supreme Court Ruling

A criminal case involving defendant K., charged under Article 282.2 of the Russian Federation's Criminal Code for organizing extremist activities, is being reconsidered by the Hangalas District Court. The case was previously ruled on but later deemed illegal and canceled by the Supreme Court of Yakutia.

The case was initially handled by the Hangalas District Court of Yakutia on August 7, 2023. The court is now instructed to consider it fully and comprehensively, adhering to the principle of adversarial proceedings. The administration of the colony initially considered K.'s actions to fall under the activities of the international public movement 'AUE', which is recognized as extremist and prohibited in Russia.

Another defendant in the case, S., a janitor in IK-6, is accused of being the organizer of 'AUE'. Despite belonging to the 'lower' caste in prison terms and being indifferent to 'thieves' ideas and traditions, S. faces these charges. According to the canceled verdict, K. convened a 'meeting' in February 2022, where he read out and conveyed a list of names, nicknames, dates of death of 'thieves in law', and established daily behavior rules for members.

Previously, Alexander Bashkin, deputy chairman of the Committee on Constitutional Legislation and State Building of the Federation Council, expressed concern about the lack of detailed descriptions of actions promoting criminal values and effective prevention mechanisms in existing legislation. K.'s lawyer, Zhanna Sleptsova, argues that K. has no relation to 'AUE' and did not commit the crime as defined in part 1 of article 282.2 of the Criminal Code. Sleptsova also contends that the reading of biographical data of 'thieves in law' is not extremism, as these dates are not recognized as extremist materials and are not included in the Ministry of Justice's list. K. is serving time for inflicting bodily harm, claiming to have beaten up a person dealing drugs, and leads a healthy lifestyle, participating in sports and prison football tournaments.

The Hangalas District Court is currently reviewing the case of defendant K., accused of organizing extremist activities. The case's previous ruling was canceled due to illegality. The court is now tasked with considering the case fully and comprehensively, taking into account the principle of adversarial proceedings. The outcome of this reconsideration will determine the fate of the defendant and may have implications for the interpretation and application of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code.