Svetlana Zotova, a resident of Yaroslavl, whose daughter was convicted for attempting to set fire to a military assistance point, has been found guilty of justifying terrorism and sentenced to a fine of 350,000 rubles. Zotova shared this information with 7x7 on December 7.
The court found Svetlana Zotova guilty of justifying terrorism and inciting terrorism and extremism under Part 2 of Article 205.2 and Part 2 of Article 280 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. The charges were related to anti-military comments she made on Telegram channels. Zotova was fined 350,000 rubles and prohibited from administering channels and public groups for two years. Her computer and three mobile phones were confiscated, with the promise of their return after “extremist entries are deleted.”
Svetlana Zotova has chosen not to appeal the verdict, which turned out to be much milder than expected. The prosecution initially sought a seven-year sentence.
Before the verdict was announced, there was an attempt to interrogate Svetlana's daughter, Valeria Zotova, who is currently in jail, via video. Valeria refused to testify against her mother, asserting that the statements she provided during her detention were influenced by the pressure from the Federal Security Service (FSB). Following this, the connection was forcibly terminated, as reported by Svetlana Zotova.
Concerns about her daughter have led to Svetlana experiencing high blood pressure in recent weeks.
The woman shared her emotional state, saying, “Everyone congratulated and hugged me, but I didn't give a shit whether I was arrested or not. I had already packed my bag, bid farewell to my younger daughter, and left the apartment keys with the neighbors. I didn't really believe in a positive outcome. I couldn't sleep last night, thinking about Lera. Due to stress, I've had difficulty walking and writing [letters to my daughter in jail] over the last few weeks.”
Valeria Zotova was accused of attempting a terrorist attack (Part 1 of Article 205, Part 3 of Article 30 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation) for trying to set a military assistance point on fire. In June 2023, the 20-year-old girl was sentenced to 6 years in prison. In November, the court rejected her appeal and confirmed the sentence.
In early October, Valeria complained to her mother about pressure from Natalia, an employee of the Federal Penitentiary Service (FSIN). Natalia accused Valeria of driving her cellmate to suicide. The deceased woman, who had been imprisoned for drowning her baby, spent time burning matches in the cell after the verdict. Valeria and other convicts requested treatment for the woman, but she was instead moved to a punishment isolation cell, where she eventually hanged herself. Subsequently, Valeria Zotova was placed in solitary confinement.
