Defence plans to challenge MCC's verdict on "Hizb ut-Tahrir" case

The advocates are preparing a complaint against the verdict passed by the Moscow City Court (MCC) in the case of the members of the of the Moscow branch of the organization "Hizb ut-Tahrir al-Islami", banned in Russia, who were sentenced to imprisonment for 7-11 years. At the end of the announcement of the verdict, the prosecutor stressed that "the court had fully confirmed the defendants' guilt."

According to investigators, Azizbek Inamov, Shamil Ismailov and Saipulla Kurbanov are leaders of the Russian branch of the "Hizb ut-Tahrir al-Islami", and Zakrillokhon Rakhmonkhodjaev was a member thereof. They all confessed of being members of the organization, but refused to plead guilty of the remaining episodes.

The verdict was based, in particular, on witnesses' testimonies, which confirmed that the defendants held lectures and Islamic conferences to discuss the overthrow of the constitutional order of the Russian Federation and proclamation of the reign of the Global Arab Caliphate.

Besides, during the investigation it was proved that the defendants had distributed certain ideological literature, which was confiscated from homes during searches.

Earlier, their advocates and Bakhrom Khamroev, who is representing the Human Rights Centre (HRC) "Memorial" and an expert in Central Asia and Islam, stated their doubts about the objectivity of the judicial process.