Three residents of Ulyanovsk were convicted of studying Nursi’s books, one received a real sentence

In Ulyanovsk, three were convicted under Art. 282.2 of the Criminal Code for the organization of the "Nurcular" cell and participation in its activities.

February 26, 2015 Leninsky District Court of Ulyanovsk found guilty of organizing a cell of a religious organization banned in Russia Association "Nurcular" and participation in its activities of three residents Ulyanovsk.

Bagir Kazikhanov was sentenced under Part 1 of Art. 282.2 CC (organization of activities of an extremist organization) to 3 years 6 months of deprivation freedom in a penal colony.

Alexander Melentiev was sentenced under Part 2 of Art. 282.2 CC (participation in the activities of an extremist organization) to 1 year 8 months of deprivation conditional freedom.

Stepan Kudryashov received 2 years of deprivation under the same part of the article conditional freedom.

According to investigators, Kazikhanov, having arrived because of frontier, organized home madrasahs in Ulyanovsk and "in the period from January 2012 to April 2014 under the guise of studying Islam secret meetings, at which he called for actions aimed at creation of a world Islamic state (Caliphate)" , in addition, he made contacts with the followers of "Nurcular" in other regions. Melentiev and Kudryashov recruited new members of the cell (including collecting money) and promoted the literature of Said Nursi. In particular, how the prosecutor's office claims that all three "formed groups with a positive perception of death, combined with a readiness for self-sacrifice in the name of the interests teachings and violations of the territorial integrity of the state ." None of the defendants pleaded guilty.

Recall that we consider it illegal to persecute Muslims, studying the works of the Turkish theologian Said Nursi, which do not contain propaganda hatred and pose no danger. Never in Russia there was no single organization of Nursi's followers; "Nurcular" ban was a ban on the phantom organization. It is explained by the fact that the Russian authorities mistakenly perceived the writings of Nursi as "propaganda of pan-Turkism", which they fear, as well as any ideas that hypothetically threaten integrity of Russia. Having recognized a non-existent organization as extremist - formally for "propaganda of the superiority of their own religion over others", - law enforcement agencies were able to persecute believers who study the works of Nursi, according to Art. 282.2 of the Criminal Code. But if earlier the latter almost never received real terms, now, in connection with the tightening of anti-extremist legislation, the situation has changed, and the persecution of harmless religious groups is increasingly will result in imprisonment for their members.

Sources

• In Ulyanovsk, the organizer of the cell of the extremist international religious association "Nurcular" is imprisoned // Website of the prosecutor's office of the Ulyanovsk region. 2015. February 26.
• Lena Lenin. In Ulyanovsk, the founder of the cell of the banned religious association "Nurcular" was convicted // 73online.ru. 2015. February 26.