Detention: In 2018, a criminal case was initiated against Elina Mamedova under Part 1 of Article 282 of the Russian Criminal Code due to three reposts on the social network VKontakte made in 2014–2015. According to the investigation, the posts contained 'negative connotations towards Russians.' It was suspected that neighbors reported her, which was later confirmed: 'Yes, I spoke with them after the first search at my home. They said that the investigator himself was browsing pages, stumbled upon mine, and found these posts. I can just see the officer scrolling through my VKontakte feed back to 2014,' Elina says. Throughout the investigation, she was under a travel ban and was listed as a 'terrorist and extremist' by Rosfinmonitoring.

Verdict: On January 17, 2019, the criminal case against Elina Mamedova was closed due to the partial decriminalization of Article 282 of the Russian Criminal Code for individuals prosecuted for internet reposts for the first time. The travel ban was lifted, and her name was removed from the 'terrorists and extremists' list. Elina learned about the case closure unexpectedly — just a few days before the hearing. 'The criminal case was closed very quietly, but opened very loudly,' she commented.

Elina Memetivna Mamedova is a young resident of Yalta, unmarried. She lives with her mother Lutfiye in a large private house, home to ten cats, three dogs, and a greenhouse full of budgerigars. At home, Elina immediately dismissed the idea of leaving: 'How can I be without my cats? I have lived in Crimea all my conscious life, my parents are here, my home is here, my whole life is here. Why should I leave?'

Despite the stress and physical condition (she couldn't eat properly for several days due to nerves), Elina maintained optimism and a sense of humor. Her friend Elmaz once complimented her on her slim figure, to which Elina replied, 'The sponsor of my weight loss is the FSB and Article 282 of the criminal code.' At the court hearing, she was amazed by the support: a crowd gathered outside the Yalta City Court — both familiar and unfamiliar faces. 'Overall, the support over these eight months was immense. People constantly wrote to me and continue to write on social networks,' she said.

Her mother Lutfiye, who was perhaps more worried than Elina herself, commented on the second search: 'I ask: why have you come again? The article was decriminalized. It's a repost, we're not used to this. We're used to expressing our thoughts as we see fit. We're not used to being punished for our thoughts.' Despite all the difficulties, Elina concluded: 'If none of this had happened, I wouldn't have met a huge number of wonderful, compassionate people who became my friends.' In parting, she advised Crimeans: 'Delete your VKontakte accounts, and if you can't leave — check all your posts, and besides cats, I wouldn't recommend posting anything else.'

The Crimean Tatar Resource Center recognized Elina Mamedova as a victim of political repression.

Information used from open sources: Crimean Tatar Resource Center, Radio Liberty (Crimea.Realii).

Photo: Crimea.Realii.

Date of update: 03.07.2026.