New Russian Religious Prisoner?

Tatar activist, Fauziya Bairamova, was officially charged on January 29, 2014 under part 1 of article 282 of the Russian Criminal Code for “incitement of hatred or enmity and humiliation of human dignity.”

Fauziya Bairamova, the Tatar activist and writer who lives in Naberezhny Chelny , is the head of an unofficial Tatar “parliament.” She is charged with a July 25, 2012 Russian social media site posting that called for a boycott of the student Olympics in Tatarstan as well as protest actions against the persecution of Muslims in Tatarstan. The Investigation Committee’s charge includes the phrase “linguistic symptoms of information of negative assertion, calls-summons and calls-slogans directed at incitement of religious and inter-ethnic hostility.” We believe that Bairamova’s text does not contain such incitement. Rather, her text contains sharp criticism of authorities and clerical leaders in Tatarstan and Russian special service whom Bayramova accuses of the attempted assassination of Mufti Ildus Faisov and the murder of his deputy Venerulla Yakupov. The purpose of these acts was to justify renewed persecution of Muslims. Her words do not qualify as a crime under Article 282 of the Russian Criminal Code but they do disturb law enforcement officials.

In February 2010, Fauziya Bairamova received a one-year conditional sentence under the same criminal code article for a resolution of the Tatar “Parliament” calling for Tatarstan’s sovereignty.

Translated by Matthew McDonald

Sources:

• Жительница Набережных Челнов подозревается в возбуждении ненависти и вражды // Сайт СУ СК РФ по Республике Татарстан. 2014. 29 января.