Chechen residents report on inspections and detentions in Gudermes mosque

On January 13, law enforcers carried out checks and detentions of mosque-goers in Gudermes, the second largest city in Chechnya. This was reported by local residents. According to the law enforcers, no complaints against the police were filed.

"In the afternoon of January 13, at the city mosque, law enforcers conducted a kind of special operation. Armed men in uniform lined up all young people at walls and checked if they wore beards and moustaches. Besides, they unlawfully searched them and checked their mobile phones. Moreover, several persons were detained, although, as far as I know, they were released," said Khasan, a resident of Gudermes.

According to him, it happened after Ramzan Kadyrov, the leader of Chechnya, delivered a speech on local TV Channel and urged law enforcers to check all suspicious persons and presence in their mobile phones of video and audio records of speeches of radical Islamists.

Chechen residents report that in recent days, law enforcers are increasingly focusing on young men wearing beards and young women wearing hijabs.

Some local observers and members of NGOs treat actions of law enforcers as incorrect.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that in June 2012, a teacher of the Chechen State University spoke about tacit requirement to all girls and women in all Chechen educational institutions to dress in accordance with the rules of Islam.