Memorial recognized eight convicts from the Bashkir Hizb ut-Tahrir as political prisoners.

Human rights activists from Memorial recognized eight representatives of the Hizb ut-Tahrir movement, which is recognized as a terrorist organization in Russia and is banned, as political prisoners.

“The Memorial Human Rights Center considers as political prisoners the residents of the city of Dyurtyuli in the Republic of Bashkortostan, convicted on charges of membership in the Islamic organization Hizb ut-Tahrir, banned in Russia: Ilgiz Salakhov, Shamil Khusniyarov, Ilshat Salimov, Gazim Kutluyarov, Ruslan Asylov, Rustam Galimkhanov, Rustam Gabdullin, Aidar Faizullin,” says the organization’s website. They were sentenced to terms ranging from five years and two months to 10.5 years in prison.

Human rights activists emphasize that the verdict states that the activities were limited to reading and discussing religious literature and news, and drinking tea.

Memorial has repeatedly condemned the designation of Hizb ut-Tahrir as a terrorist organization. In mid-July, human rights activists recognized four defendants in the Crimean Hizb ut-Tahrir case as political prisoners.