Khassani Kobra (Hassani Kobra)

Journalist Kobra Hassani and 12 other Afghan citizens are accused of illegally crossing the Russian border. One of the defendants in the case, Alexander Matsulevich, is also accused of "organizing an illegal border crossing." According to investigators, no later than April 22, 2022, Alexander Matsulevich conspired with Jelani Ghulam and others to organize illegal border crossings for monetary compensation. He recruited L., the head of the border control department at the St. Petersburg Sea Port Cargo checkpoint, who was involved in the operation, and offered to facilitate the illegal crossing of a group of Afghan citizens across the Russian border for a monetary reward of $1,500 for each illegal migrant transported to an EU member state. The 12 members of the group handed over their passports to Matsulevich, along with $500 each, for a total of $6,000, after which they proceeded to a minibus, boarded, and awaited their onward transfer. Thus, the 12 foreign citizens, organized by Matsulevich and Ghulam, and assisted by others, intended to secretly board a foreign-going vessel, bypassing Russian passport and border control, with the intent of subsequently illegally crossing the Russian state border. However, Matsulevich and Ghulam were unable to complete their criminal intent, as Matsulevich was detained along with the aforementioned accomplices. Kobra Hassani fled her country after the Taliban seized power. She lived and studied in Ukraine for a time. After the outbreak of war, she decided to flee to the European Union. According to Kobra's lawyer, she and her compatriots were deceived into coming to Russia and arrested with the involvement of the FSB. All were placed on bail. On May 27, 2022, the Kirovsky District Court of St. Petersburg ordered Kobra Hassani to be remanded in custody. On May 24, 2023, the Kirovsky District Court of St. Petersburg found Kobra Hassani guilty of an administrative offense related to failure by foreign citizens to comply with entry or residence (stay) regulations in Russia and sentenced her to a fine of 5,000 rubles and administrative deportation from the Russian Federation. Hassani was placed in the Temporary Detention Center for Foreign Citizens. On February 13, 2024, Judge Maria Sarova of the Kirovsky District Court of St. Petersburg found the Afghans guilty and sentenced Jelani Ghulam, Kobra Hassani, Emammudin Miraj, Sharif Mohammad, Rahim Mangal, Rasul Afghan, Murtaza Afraz, Nimatullah Rang, Rahimullah Mohmand, Rafiuddin Miraj, Naqibullah Shahabzada, Firdaus Rug, and Ahmad Muradi to two years' imprisonment in a penal colony. However, they were released in the courtroom because their time in pretrial detention had been counted. The court sentenced Alexander Matsulevich to four years in a maximum-security penal colony. The court also ordered $5,000 US dollars forfeited "for the benefit of the state." All other belongings, including mobile phones, were returned to their owners. Fadeeva's lawyer previously noted that after serving her sentence in a Russian penal colony, the journalist would be deported to Afghanistan, where she faces the death penalty. On February 14, 2024, the Court dismissed the bailiff's motion and granted the defense attorney's motion. The Court terminated the enforcement of the ruling of the Kirovsky District Court of St. Petersburg under Part 3.1 of Article 18.8 of the Code of Administrative Offenses of the Russian Federation against Kobra Hassani regarding her forced deportation and detention in a temporary detention center for foreign nationals. On June 25, 2024, an appeal was heard. To exclude from the operative part of the verdict the counting of time spent in custody from the moment of actual detention, that is, from to in accordance with paragraph "c" of Part 3.1 of Article 72 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation, at the rate of one day of detention for two days of serving a sentence in a general regime penal colony, and in relation to Gulam D.A. V., Hassani K., Mohammad Sharif K. R., Mangala R. D., Mohmand R., Rug F., Muradi A. D. The rest of the court's verdict shall be left unchanged.