Followers of Said Nursi detained in Dagestan

In three cities of Dagestan, 14 people were brought to the police, two of them were detained in the case of organizing the activities of the banned organization Nurcular.

On March 15, 2016, it became known that law enforcement agencies carried out an operation in three cities of Dagestan - Izberbash, Makhachkala and Khasavyurt - against the followers of the Muslim theologian Said Nursi. 14 people were taken to the police, while 12 people were released after questioning, and two were detained. During searches of their homes, more than 400 copies of books and brochures, several laptops, mobile phones, flash drives and CDs were seized.

It is reported that a criminal case has been initiated under Art. 282.2 of the Criminal Code (organization of the activities of an extremist organization). Among the detained alleged leaders of a cell of the Nurcular organization banned in Russia is Ziyavdin Dapaev, who in 2011 was already convicted under Part 1 of Art. 282.2 of the Criminal Code and sentenced to three years' imprisonment on probation. The second detainee is Sukhrab Kaltuev. Later it became known that Ziyavdin Dapaev and Sukhrab Kaltuev were arrested. Sukhrab Kaltuev stayed in the pre-trial detention center until September, after which he was released on bail. His brother Artur Kaltuev is also under subscription, both brothers are charged under Part 2 of Art. 282.2 of the Criminal Code in participation in the activities of a prohibited organization.

We consider it illegal to ban the Nurcular association, which did not exist in Russia at all: there are only individual believers who face unjustified persecution for studying the books of Said Nursi.

Sources

• Source: Members of a religious organization banned in the Russian Federation detained in Dagestan // TASS. 2016. March 15.
• 14 members of Nurjular organization banned in Russia detained in Dagestan - source // Interfax. 2016. March 15.
• Rybina Yu. A banned sect was found in Dagestan // Kommersant. 2016. March 15.
• Victoria Arnold. RUSSIA: Long-running cases against Muslims for meetings // Forum 18. 2017. February 1.