The magistrate from Nalchik was convicted in a bribery case.

The court sentenced retired magistrate Mukhamed Tembotov to nine years in a strict regime for bribery. The court secretary Marianna Karasova received eight years, and the judge's assistant Elena Rashidova was sentenced to seven and a half years in a general regime colony.

As reported by "Caucasian Knot", in February, a criminal case was initiated in Kabardino-Balkaria against former magistrate Mukhamed Tembotov, who was accused of receiving bribes and mediating in bribery. In early April, the case was transferred to court for substantive consideration.

According to the investigation and the court, from November 2024 to May 2025, the magistrate, with the participation of the court session secretary and the judge's assistant, repeatedly received bribes ranging from 10,000 to 100,000 rubles from participants in court proceedings for decisions on administrative cases under his jurisdiction, the Investigative Committee of Kabardino-Balkaria reported today on its Telegram channel.

After receiving a previously requested bribe of 100,000 rubles from a local resident in May 2025, who filed a complaint with the republican FSB, all three were detained.

The criminal case was initiated by the head of the Investigative Committee of Russia Bastrykin with the consent of the Supreme Qualification Collegium of Judges of the Russian Federation and investigated with the support of FSB officers in the region.

The evidence collected by the investigators was deemed sufficient by the court to convict retired magistrate Mukhamed Tembotov of judicial district No. 7 of the Nalchik judicial district, his assistant Elena Rashidova, and court session secretary Marianna Karasova. Depending on each person's role, they were found guilty of receiving a bribe by an official, committed by an organized group of individuals by prior agreement 1 and petty bribery through an intermediary 2 .

The court sentenced Tembotov to 9 years of imprisonment in a strict regime correctional colony, Karasova to 8 years of imprisonment, and judge's assistant Rashidova to 7.5 years of imprisonment in a general regime correctional colony. In addition, the guilty were assigned additional types of punishment in the form of fines ranging from 500,000 rubles to 2.5 million rubles.

"Caucasian Knot" also reported that in November 2025, the Supreme Qualification Collegium of Judges of the Russian Federation deprived the retired judge status of former chairman of the Krasnodar Regional Court Alexander Chernov, who was involved in the case of former head of the Council of Judges of the Russian Federation Viktor Momotov.