Zarema Musayeva received a more severe punishment than other citizens of the Russian Federation accused under the same articles. The woman was sentenced to 2.5 years in prison for fraud and three years for using violence against a police officer. However, according to statistics over the past five years, with similar crimes, 89% and 71% of those convicted, respectively, received lighter sentences. This pattern was revealed by sociologist Elena Yurishina.

As Elena Yurishina’s research for the “To Be Precise” project showed, according to statistics, Russian courts extremely rarely impose the maximum punishment - most often judges try to impose less severe ones. In addition, if the crime is not serious, the chances of those convicted to remain free are higher.

In July, a court in Grozny found Zarema Musayeva guilty of using violence against a police officer and fraud and sentenced her to five years in prison. According to investigators, a woman scratched the face of a police officer from Chechnya while she was being taken from an apartment in Nizhny Novgorod to Grozny. In addition, Musaeva was accused of aiding a certain Madina Azimova, who fraudulently issued consumer loans to insolvent borrowers.

According to lawyers, due to Musaeva’s health condition, she cannot serve her sentence. She suffers from type 2 diabetes and has had persistent nosebleeds and arm pain.

Zarema Musayeva is the mother of Chechen activists Abubakar, Ibragim and Baysangur Yangulbaev. Human rights activists claim that she was kidnapped as a hostage and convicted of her sons’ opposition activities.