Press Release
In its struggle against Islam, Russia has once again shown its Ideological Weakness

On September 16, 2020, Southern District Military Court of the Russian Federation in Rostov-on-Don pronounced a verdict against 8 Muslims from Crimea in so-called "second Bakhchisaray case of Hizb ut Tahrir". 7 people were sentenced to terms ranging from 13 to 19 years. Trial and judicial proceedings last for three years.

Marlen Asanov, Memet Belyalov, Timur Ibragimov, Server Zekiryaev, Server Mustafayev, Seyran Saliev and Edem Smailov were found guilty in organizing and participating in terrorist activities. Ernes Ametov was found not guilty and was released in the courtroom.

Once again we witnessed another fabricated case and expected sentence, when pure dawah carriers, who live according to Islam were accused of terrorist activities.

As it was in past, in Tsar and Communist times, Russian authorities made another public savage attack of the Muslims of Crimea, wishing to subjugate and break their will. Russia demonstratively appoints most active part of Crimean Muslims as criminals, and make others its agents, trying to gain total control over Muslims.

Once again, the Russian government sentenced Muslims of Crimea, as it was done to Muslims of Caucasus and Volga region to inconceivable terms just for them saying "our Lord is Allah", while rapists, murderers of women and children, dangerous people posing a real threat to society receive much less terms.

Absurdity of this imposed sentence is in the fact that basis of the accusation in this "case of terrorism" is not the planning, preparation or implementation of terrorist acts, but a public meeting (suhbet) in the mosque in Bakhchisarai, which was attended by dozens of people. Also, convicted Muslims are charged with reading Islamic books and conversations about Islam.

This political not judicial verdict passed by the Russian crooked justice also exposes its own insolvency by the fact that the phones, the hard drive, the tablet, the laptop and the keyboard are recognized as instruments of crime in this court verdict!!!

There are no maps, no blueprints with plans for terrorist attacks, no weapons, no explosives, there is not even talk of planning anything related to violence as evidence in materials of this trial.

Prosecutors and judges have repeatedly confirmed in court sessions the absence of any slightest signs of terrorist activity on the part of the defendants, referring only to the notorious decision of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation of 2003. This judicial document which was not adopted in interests of Russian society whose significant part are Muslims, but was adopted in interests of Russian government. In 2003 Russian Supreme Court confirmed an opportunistic decision that recognized a number of Muslim organizations as terrorist, this aimed to reach some goals in inner and foreign policy.

All the criminal participants of this union, whether they are FSB (Federal Security Service) investigators, prosecutors, judges or the owners from high offices standing behind them are well known - what is happening is nothing but their enmity towards Islam, which is fueled by jaundice and groundless phobia and sometimes by ideological hatred. Since they themselves have repeatedly admitted that Hizb ut Tahrir has no link with violence and terrorism.

Nevertheless, people and organizations that has nothing to do with terrorism and terrorist activity in one moment were appointed to be criminals and terrorists.

Hizb ut Tahrir is an international Islamic political party that limits its activities exclusively to ideological and political work. Any attempts to accuse Hizb ut Tahrir of terrorism are broken by the 60-year history of work Hizb in more than 40 countries of the world.

Rejection of this verdict and numerous arrests was seen in mass reaction and showing their attitude by Crimean Muslims. Thousands of Muslims participated in dozens Muslim meetings (dua) that were held in all corners of Crimea on the eve, where they prayed in support of the convicted brothers, asking Allah for their speedy release and writing to them support letters.

In addition, on the day of the verdict, more than 600 Muslims expressed their disagreement by coming to the courthouse in Rostov on Don and Simferopol, which was an unprecedented event in the so-called "Cases of terrorism". Of course courts were not able to admit so many people.

This is the true assessment of the Muslims of the Crimea to such criminal actions of the Russian authorities, a shadow on which unable to throw a few traitors in the ranks of the so-called Spiritual Directorate of Muslims of Crimea under the leadership of Emir Ali Ablaev, singing laudatory odes to the Russian government aiming to reach religious monopoly and struggling for posts of imams in mosques. They do not care about sentence terms and tears of children whose fathers were jailed.

The fact of the release of our brother in faith Ernes Ametov undoubtedly evokes joy in our hearts and the hearts of Muslims. We praise Allah for bringing Ernes back to his family and children.

However, there is no need to be naive here, believing that the release of Ernest is a triumph of justice and a sign of the impartiality of the Russian courts, because hundreds of Muslims, who are the same innocent and have not committed any crime, continue to be under investigation or serve their sentences in prisons and colonies of this criminal KGB regime.

Undoubtedly, the lies and intrigues that the Russian authorities weave today against Islam and its followers are doomed to be completely rejected by the Muslims of Russia and Crimea.
Undoubtedly, the truth cannot be hidden by lies, even if they are trying to hide it with numerous volumes of a criminal case, long convictions and dozens of commissioned reports from pro-government media platforms.

(وَقَدْ مَكَرُوا مَكْرَهُمْ وَعِنْدَ اللَّهِ مَكْرُهُمْ وَإِنْ كَانَ مَكْرُهُمْ لِتَزُولَ مِنْهُ الْجِبَالُ)

“They built their own plots, but Allah had their plots. But these intrigues could move mountains (or could not move mountains)” [14:46]

Media Office of Hizb ut Tahrir in Ukraine