Five Alleged Members Of Banned Hizb Ut-Tahrir Islamic Group Arrested In Tatarstan

KAZAN, Russia — Five alleged members of the Hizb ut-Tahrir Islamic group, labeled as extremist and banned in Russia, have been detained in Russia’s Republic of Tatarstan.

The Federal Security Service (FSB) said in a statement on November 6 that its officers, along with National Guard troops, detained five individuals suspected of propagating “terrorist ideas” among Tatarstan’s Muslims.

The statement said that computers, electronic devices, and books containing Hizb ut-Tahrir’s teachings that envision the establishment of a caliphate on Russia’s territory were confiscated.

Since January, 10 residents of Tatarstan have been convicted and sentenced to prison terms of between 11 and 22 years for being members of Hizb ut-Tahrir.

Hizb ut-Tahrir is a global organization based in London that seeks to unite all Muslim countries into an Islamic caliphate, but it says its methods for reaching that goal are peaceful.

Russia’s Supreme Court banned the group in 2003, branding its supporters as “extremists.”