News:

On 4 April 2014, Interfax reported that the Islamic organization “Hizb ut-Tahrir”, which is recognized as a terrorist organization in Russia, should be banned in Crimea since it is joining the Russian Federation, stated Rustam Temirgaliev, the first Deputy Chairman of the Council of Ministers.

Comment:

The first report that they would combat Hizb ut Tahrir in Crimea sounded off March 2nd. Then the new head of Security Service of Crimea Petr Zima said: “Today there are the elements of this organization in Crimea. The corresponding functions are assigned to the SS of Crimea and we will deal with them”. Then there was a referendum, was boycotted by Crimean Tatars and Moscow needed to stabilize the situation in Crimea as soon as possible. For this the negotiation process with the representatives of Crimean Tatars started and at the same time they decided how to combat Hizb ut Tahrir because on the one hand thousands of party supporters are Crimean Tatars and on the other hand Hizb ut Tahrir was not banned in Ukraine and the thousands of Muslims in Crimea suddenly became an outlaw only because joining Russia.

The next report was on 18 March, the first Deputy Chairman of the Council of Ministers of Crimea Rustam Temirgaliev in an interview with RIA Novosti saying about Hizb ut Tahrir stated: “I think that in the framework of the Russian Federation jurisdiction we need to limit the activities of this organization. In what form it will be – either in the form of an outright ban, or the requirement of legalization and more control – I think this issue will soon be decided”.

April 1st the Kremlin reached an agreement with Crimean Tatars; and Putin promised to consider the issue about recognition of the Crimean Tatar people as repressed and clarify the situation with Hizb ut Tahrir. And on 4 April, again, Rustam Temirgaliev stated that Hizb ut Tahrir should be banned in Crimea since its joining Russia. Just a few hours after Temirgaliev’s statement, Russian media replicated the news that the member of Hizb ut Tahrir Abdurakhim Toshmatov was sentenced to 17 years of imprisonment for planning and organization of terror acts in Stavropol in May 2013.

Thus the Russian authorities have demonstrated their intention to fabricate impudently criminal cases against the Muslims from Hizb ut Tahrir. Recall that in February the Russian security services to pursue Hizb anti-terrorist articles of the Criminal Code, which for the activities of the party provides for up to 20 years in prison. Further, the State Duma adopted a bill to consider toughening punishment for the same conduct up to life imprisonment, as reported, “Rossiyskaya Gazeta”. And Allah سبحانه وتعالى says:

وَعَدَ اللَّهُ الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا مِنْكُمْ وَعَمِلُوا الصَّالِحَاتِ لَيَسْتَخْلِفَنَّهُمْ فِي الْأَرْضِ كَمَا اسْتَخْلَفَ الَّذِينَ مِنْ قَبْلِهِمْ وَلَيُمَكِّنَنَّ لَهُمْ دِينَهُمُ الَّذِي ارْتَضَىٰ لَهُمْ وَلَيُبَدِّلَنَّهُمْ مِنْ بَعْدِ خَوْفِهِمْ أَمْنًا ۚ يَعْبُدُونَنِي لَا يُشْرِكُونَ بِي شَيْئًا ۚ وَمَنْ كَفَرَ بَعْدَ ذَٰلِكَ فَأُولَٰئِكَ هُمُ الْفَاسِقُونَ

“Allah has promised those of you who have iman and do right actions that He will make them successors in the land as He made those before them successors, and will firmly establish for them their deen with which He is pleased and give them, in place of their fear, security. ‘They worship Me, not associating anything with Me.’ Any who are kafir after that, such people are deviators.”

(An-Nur, 24:55)

Written for the Media Office of Hizb ut Tahrir by

Suleyman Ibragimov