A committee to protect imam of Piatigorsk mosque created in Stavropol Territory

The Moslem community of Piatigorsk (Stavropol Territory) has formed a Committee to Protect Imam Anton (Abdullah) Stepanenko arrested on January 25 in the building of the town mosque, reports IA "Islam-Info" correspondent.

The trial of imam accused under article 127 of RF CC ("illegal deprivation of freedom") will start on March 26. According to the Moslem community members, the investigation is carried out with gross violations of the CC. The parish of the Piatigorsk mosque and the accused imam's lawyers are subjected to constant pressure from the law enforcement agencies. In the course of interrogations they are advised "not to poke and pry," or "imam Stepanenko's fate would come to them."

The members of Piatigorsk Moslem community consider the changes against Abdullah Anton Stepanenko, imam of Piatigorsk mosque, of kidnapping and extortion completely framed.

"I know the arrested imam, who by his age might be my son, as a very decent, clear and bright man, almost a saint. He called upon his parish to love all people, all neighbours, irrespective of their nationality or religion. I can not comprehend, how such a charge may be brought to him," told a mosque parishioner the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent.

According to reports of a number of Russian media, in June 2004, the suspected persons illegally detained Boris Martynov in the "Arena" computer hall during a day and extorted 30,000 roubles from him under a far fetched pretext.

According to Dzhamili Kuliyeva, representative of Piatigorsk Moslem community, officers of the department on fighting organized crime in Piatigorsk summoned for interrogation two parishioners, Boris Martynov and Nail Korotayev, and asked them to write an application to the prosecutor's office incriminating the mosque imam. Boris Martynov, aged 19, previously convicted for theft, agreed, while Nail Korotayev refused, saying that he would not hide the fact of forcing him to give false evidence against the imam.

In June 2004, Boris Martynov committed a theft in the house of Imam Anton Stepanenko and in the Piatigorsk mosque, and was exposed by the injured party. However, after repeated urges of Martynov's parents and his repentance, the imam refrained from applying to the law enforcement agencies about the incident. The fact that Martynov declared himself a Moslem and began to visit the mosque has played an important role.