Russian occupation ‘court’ dissolves independent Crimean Tatar Muslim community, after imprisoning several members
According to lawyer Rustem Kyamiliev, who is representing the community, the ‘ministry’ claimed that the failure to exclude the former head of ‘Alushta’ Lenur Khalilov and member of the community Ruslan Mesutov, after both men were sentenced to long terms of imprisonment, was a “flagrant violation of the legislation regulating the activities of religious organizations.” Both Lenur Khalilov and Ruslan Mesutov are recognized political prisoners, whose release has been demanded by numerous international bodies.
The same argument was cited with respect to Ruslan Emirvaliev, who took Lenur Khalilov’s place as head of the community. The ‘ministry’ claimed that he should have been removed immediately after he was found guilty of ‘propaganda of extremist symbols’, and not only after they issued a warning.
In fact, the purported reasons cited for dissolving ‘Alushta’ reads like part of the long list of Russia’s politically motivated attacks on a peaceful, law-abiding Muslim community. The so-called ‘infringements’ claimed to be aimed at “carrying out extremist activities” included one of the pretexts used for the persecution of Yusuf Ashirov. Although the latter has been Imam of the Mosque since 1994, and has been repeatedly re-elected by the community, the occupation regime charged him under a bizarre, and internationally condemned, norm (Article 5,26 § 4) of Russia’s administrative code with ‘carrying out unlawful missionary activities,’
The above are only some of multiple methods used by the Russian occupation regime to eliminate the ‘Alushta’ Muslim community since soon after Russia’s invasion and annexation of Crimea. The attack is linked both with the community’s religious independence which is not tolerated by the Russian regime and the Directorate of Muslims of Crimea which, under Mufti Emirali Ablayev, chose to collaborate with the invading state in return for power and privilege. The attack is almost certainly also to seize the 19th Century Yukary Dzhami Mosque in the very centre of Alushta which had legally been in the hands of the ‘Alushta’ community since 1994.
In 2017, the occupation regime revoked the community’s ownership of Yukary Dzhami Mosque with Russian-controlled or Russian courts, right up to the Supreme Court upholding this illegal ruling. It was almost certainly no coincidence that Lenur Khalilov, the Head of the community and former Imam of the Mosque, as well as Ruslan Mesutov and two other Crimean Tatars were arrested on 10 June 2019
The arrests of Lenur Khalilov; Ruslan Mesutov and two other Crimean Tatars on 10 June 2019, two weeks before the community’s legal challenge against the ruling to deprive them of the Mosque.
As reported, it seems likely that the current Muft Emirali Ablayev has collaborated with the Russian enforcement bodies over the attacks on the Yukhary-Dzhami Mosque. Ablayev’s people from the ‘Spiritual Directorate’ took part, together with Russian enforcement officers, in a raid on the Mosque on 30 March 2021. Members of the community were told that a check was underway as to whether ‘Alushta’ complies with Russian legislation on freedom of conscience and on countering so-called ‘terrorism’ and ‘extremism’, with Ruslan Emirvaliev summoned for questioning. There is suspicion that Ablayev is also implicated in the horrific persecution of Muslims, including three members of the community, for their religious independence and / or their involvement in the Crimean Tatar human rights movement.
Muslim Aliev (b. 1971)
The first member of the ‘Alushta’ community to face direct persecution, Muslim Aliev has been imprisoned since 11 February, 2016, when armed and masked enforcement officers burst into his and other homes, terrifying small children and applying gratuitous violence. Aliev was sentenced to 19 years without any crime; Inver Bekirov to 18 years; renowned Crimean Tatar human rights defender Emir-Usein Kuku and Vadym Siruk to 12 years. All are recognized political prisoners, as well as Amnesty International prisoners of conscience.
See: Russia brings 19-year sentences against religious ‘dissidents’ to occupied Crimea
Lenur Khalilov (b. 1967) and Ruslan Mesutov b. 1965)
The Head of the ‘Alushta’ community and active member of the community were seized on 10 June 2019, together with two other Crimean Tatars. Ruslan Nagayev (b. 1964) and Eldar Kantimirov (b. 1980) are both also devout Muslims and were active in their religious communities. All had shown solidarity in the face of the mounting repression under Russian occupation, with Kantimirov in particular visiting court hearings and taking part in single-person pickets. Like many other Crimean Tatar civic activists or journalists, Kantimirov first faced administrative prosecution, before facing grotesque criminal charges when the first prosecutions failed to silence him.
In declaring Lenur Khalilov, Ruslan Mesutov; Eldar Kantimirov and Ruslan Nagayev political prisoners, Memorial stated that the men were charged under Russia’s terrorism articles, without actually being accused of terrorism and were imprisoned for the “non-violent exercising of their right to freedom of conscience, religion and association”. “The Crimean Muslims are guilty only of being participants in religious organizations”. Memorial also noted that Russia was using the same flawed charges as a weapon for crushing solidarity movements in Crimea.
See: Savage sentences in Russia’s religious persecution and plunder in occupied Crimea
More information about Russia’s offensive against the independent ‘Alushta’ Muslim community at the following links:
Russia's armed terror against independent Crimean Tatar Muslim community hits resistance