“Injustice on a scale”: human rights activists and lawyers on the persecution of “Hizb Ut-Tahrir”

Hizb Ut-Tahrir is a political Islamic party, which the Supreme Court recognized in 2003 a terrorist organization. During this time, hundreds of peaceful Muslims were defendants in criminal cases. On July 10, the seven Crimean Tatars were detained on Red Square with posters "Our children are not terrorists." On the same day, a press conference was held in Moscow on the problem of pursuit of Hizb Ut-Tahrir. We publish compressed versions of speakers.

Sergey Davidis, member of the Council of PC "Memorial"

Today in Russia and Crimea, 276 people are devoid of freedom on charges of belonging to Hizb Ut-Tahrir. In total, 309 people in our lists. Since we include people in lists only after familiarizing themselves with the materials of affairs, of 276 people only 148 in our lists. But this figure is already - almost half of all political prisoners in the country.

You can argue about how good the ideas of Hizb Ut-Tahrir are, we like them or do not like, but it is quite obvious that the accusations of terrorism have no reason. In no case there is no evidence of violent actions, planning for violent actions or discussion of violent actions. Nothing of the same was presented.

It is necessary to increase pressure on power. Use the instruments of the UN, the ECHR tools (the European Court of Human Rights- OTD-Info ). If this problem is said, if the authorities sees this, if they talk about this in international stands, this increases the chances that the authorities will ultimately consider that it is wiser to solve this problem.

Valery Borschev, co -chair of the Moscow Helsinki group

This is a federal problem. With the ease of extraordinary, these accusations are brought to people who have nothing to do with terrorism. And the number of accusations is multiplying. The authorities chose the denominations-Jehovists, “Hizb Ut-Tahrir”, organizations for which society will not intercede. The authorities thought: now we will hold the action here, declare them extremists, terrorists.

I think that a public protest appeared, attention to the problem was a surprise to the authorities. There should be a consolidation of human rights communities. I think this will give its effect. What - let's see, but the fact that it is not useless is undoubted.

Sergey Legostov, lawyer

I believe that one of the goals of this meeting is to draw attention to a possible revision of the decision of the Supreme Court from 2003. If this is a terrorist organization, if it is a political party, then why is a clear hierarchical structure in any of the affairs - a city, district, region, and so on? None of the affairs found powerful financing, correspondence with other organizations, reports, orders were not found. Photo, audio and video evidence are used in the Ukrainian period. But in Ukraine, neither then nor now the Hizb Ut-Tahrir is prohibited.

Alia Mamutova, wife of convicted Enver Mamutov

In the 90s, the indigenous people of Crimea massively began to return to their homeland, reviving their culture, their customs and traditions, their religion. But since 2014, our people have been turned into the so -called "terrorists."

Everyone lived openly without hiding anything. Enver arranged festivities in honor of the end of Ramadan. Remi Memetov was a cook. Zevri Abseites - a dentist. Rustem Abiltarov - builder. Give the mind incomprehensible terms for religious beliefs. The terms made to us, our children and our people.

Emil Kurbedinov, lawyer

Now I feel the same thing that Alia said, like the Crimean Tatar, as a Muslim. Since childhood, I hear the stories of our old people about how the labels of traitors were rustled, how long the national movement of the Crimean Tatars fought for returning to their homeland, and today we encountered a new label - “terrorists”. As a lawyer, for five years, I have been watching how a tool to combat terrorism is used to combat civilian activists, documentary officers, and journalists. A tool that should fight evil has turned into an instrument of evil itself.

Expertise, which Crimean Tatar words, such as “Sokhbet”, for example, turn into a special terrorist word. Discussions of the political situation, discussion of the persecution of Muslims, conversations turn into some secret meetings of a terrorist organization.

I think the General Prosecutor's Office should reconsider this decision and remove this rotten foundation.

Vitaliy Ponomarev, Director of the program of PC "Memorial"

The monstrous injustice and scale are striking. They give huge terms - 24 and a half years - for actions that are not related to the preparation of violent acts or even calls for such acts. We are talking about discussing ideological concepts.

Last year, a high-ranking FSB official said that Hizb Ut-Tahrir is considered as the most dangerous terrorist organization in Russia. It is noteworthy that an organization whose members condemn terrorism as a method are recognized as such a threat and condemn the specific acts of terrorism.

The ban itself was carried out without serious grounds. Logical paradox: it is impossible to appeal this ban. There were dozens of attempts to appeal from both convicts and from their representatives. Almost always, the Supreme Court answered briefly: you are not a party to the case. That is, you can sit for participation, and challenge the decision on the basis of which you are in prison is impossible.

What are the accusations on. Secret witnesses. These are the people who are put in front of the alternative: either they themselves will go as the accused, or they will say what the investigation needs. Second: examinations. The examinations are very strange. People get up to 24 years, because in the conversation they use certain terms. Experts often do not understand them, and even the general Islamic “Davat” (call for Islam- OTD-info ) is interpreted as a specific slang of a terrorist organization. Said the word - you are already a terrorist.

The problem has arisen in this form in the past few years. Previously, despite the ban on 2003, the policy of the authorities was quite soft. For what for which they give 24 years now, they were given a fine, conditional punishment or colony-settlement. In 2010–2012, in Moscow, people associated with Hizb Ut-Tahrir held events in the conference rooms of the Izmailovo Hotel, with hundreds of participants. The FSB and the police well knew and even guarded the entrance to these events. But in recent years, it was, so to speak, Medvedev’s liberal presidency, they simply turned a blind eye to this due to political attitudes. Two three years later, these conferences turned into “secret meetings” of a terrorist organization in criminal cases against members of Hizb Ut-Tahrir in Moscow.

Alexandra Krylenkova, coordinator of the field human rights center in Crimea

For me, the most terrible was the absolute silence. It is really based on Islamophobia, and in this part there are serious progress. Thanks to the Crimea, there is movement towards consolidation.

I in every possible way advertise “Crimean solidarity”, it is unprecedented for Russia, such methods of self -organization only to study and study. From the point of view of analytics - there is such a project “205.5”. And I highly recommend reading it. There is a group on Facebook, this is the project of the Memorial, there is relevant information and analytics. We are clearly closer to the goal than yesterday, and every day closer than we were. Another thing is that this is really very slow. But at least this movement.