Authorities in Russia have begun detaining muftis following statements about a possible "seizure of power" by Muslims
Russia has seen a wave of arrests of Muslim clerics following high-profile statements about the Muslim community’s readiness to “take matters into its own hands.”
This has been reported by Russian media and pro-government Telegram channels.
The detention of Mordovia’s Mufti Rail-khadzrat Asainov and former Karelia Mufti Visam Ali Bardvil has been officially confirmed.
Asainov is suspected of allegedly giving a bribe to the head of the “Islamic Economics and Finance” master’s program at Mordovia State University. According to Russian media, Bardvil was arrested for 15 days following a confrontation with police at Sheremetyevo Airport after refusing to show his documents.
Additionally, in St. Petersburg, the head of the “Northwest Muslim Community,” Hennie Mohammed, was detained, as well as the advisor to the mufti of the Saratov region and a teacher at the “Sheikh Said” madrasa, El Khikh Nidal Avadalla Ahmed.
According to pro-government media outlets, security forces also carried out detentions in Moscow, North Ossetia, and Mordovia. In total, about a dozen individuals associated with the Spiritual Administration of Muslims of Russia may have been subject to checks and investigative actions.
Russian security agencies claim they are investigating possible links between the detainees and “foreign entities” as well as the Muslim Brotherhood, which is designated as a terrorist organization in Russia.
The wave of detentions began following statements by former Chechen Deputy Prime Minister Ruslan Kutaev, who is currently in exile. In April, he claimed that Muslims in Moscow were allegedly ready, at the right moment, to “establish a government that suits them.”
“We will establish a government that suits us,” Kutaev said.
He also claimed that “chaos” reigns in Russia and that the government has allegedly lost the trust of the population.
Currently, the Kremlin is increasingly preparing for a possible end to the war against Ukraine, but Russian dictator Vladimir Putin still does not have a clear plan for exiting the conflict.
Russia is running out of resources to continue the war against Ukraine, and losses on the front lines and sanctions are gradually undermining the economy and stability. This was stated by Estonian foreign intelligence.
In Europe, the debate over whether to discuss peace with Russia has intensified once again.
