On 3 November the “Rossiyskaya” Newspaper reported that the Russian president signed a new package of amendments to the anti-Islamic legislation.

This was done as soon as possible. It took one month to pass all of the procedures required for the adoption of the amendments to the criminal law of the country. The special services of Russia contributed much to this, they initiated the adoption of these oppressive laws against Muslims. Many facts point that they made a lot of special operations to create a favorable informational background that would facilitate the rapid advancement of the law in the legal structures of the country.

One of the main elements of this operation was blowing up of the bus with peace-loving passengers in Volgograd, for implementation of which a Muslim woman was to blame. After that, against the background of intensified anti-Islamic hysteria, they adopted some tightenings, with which Russian Muslims will soon face. There appeared a penalty for Muslims who participated in any fighting with the Islamic paramilitary groups in other countries, such as Syria, Afghanistan. In such countries where Muslims oppose tyranny and occupation of the Western countries with arms. Following the example of the Jewish entity, they introduce the responsibility onto the relatives of those who carry out acts of self-detonation. Now the relatives of these Muslims will be subjected to confiscation of property.

Also they introduce another article that effects more of Hizb ut Tahrir’s shababs. Because it involves liability of 15-20 years of imprisonment for the organization of Islamic movements included by the Russian Supreme Court in the list of terrorist organizations. In which Hizb ut Tahrir party was also included on the basis of false accusations. To this day, Hizb ut Tahrir’s shababs were persecuted most of all because there were no more massive and more active Islamic movements in Russia. Previously, they were pursued by extremist legislation that generally allowed to imprison only up to 3 years. Now the authorities have an opportunity to chase them using new lies and to accuse them of terrorist article involving deprivation of liberty for up to 20 years. Thus, the punishment for the activity in the ranks of Hizb ut Tahrir has increased by 7 times in Russia, equaling in its cruelty the persecution of Hizb ut Tahrir’s shabab in Uzbekistan.

وَجَعَلْنَا بَعْضَكُمْ لِبَعْضٍ فِتْنَةً أَتَصْبِرُونَ

“But We have made some of you a trial for others to see if you will be steadfast?”

(Al-Furqaan, 25:20)

Written for the Central Media Office of Hizb ut Tahrir by

Suleyman Ibragimov