In the Fight against Hizb ut Tahrir, Russia has taken the Path of Uzbekistan

Saving an unfair punishment for calling to Islam with Hizb ut Tahrir, Hafizov Asgat was added another 10 years of imprisonment to 19 years. On 05 August 2021, the Central District Military Court announced a sentence against Hizb ut Tahrir member Hafizov Asgat, accused of Part 2 of Article 205.5 and Part 1 of Article 205.1 of the Criminal Code in the organization of activities and participation in the organization “Hizb ut Tahrir”. To 13 years, which he still had to leave, the court added another 10 years. In total, together with the previous sentence, the Russian judicial system sentenced him to 29 years of imprisonment, of which he has already served 6 years. Thus, Russia implements the experience of the special services of Uzbekistan - every time the previous time ends, they add a new one to the members of Hizb ut Tahrir.

In addition, the military court also tightened his detention regime: from a strict regime to a special regime. In addition to these remaining 23 years in prison, Khafizov will have to spend 3 years in prison. The date of the alleged release according to the verdict is August 17, 2043.

Recall that Asgat Khafizov was detained and held in custody from 10/14/2014 on charges of crimes under Part 1 of Article 205.5 and Part 1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation, as the organizer of the activities of an extremist and terrorist organization at the same time, then, on 08.12. 2017 was sentenced by the Privolzhsky District Military Court to 19 years and 2 months in prison with serving a sentence in a strict regime colony.

And this is far from the first and not the only case of such lawlessness of the Russian repressive machine, represented by the courts, investigative bodies, and special services. This was first tested in 2017. Hizb ut Tahrir member Rinat Galiullin, after serving 5 years in prison on a fabricated criminal case, was to be released on July 28, 2017 from secure hospital No. 3 of the Saratov region. But on leaving the colony, he was detained by the FSB in front of his wife and 10-year-old daughter. It turned out that a case was opened against him under Part 2 of Article 205.5 of the Criminal Code (participation in the activities of a terrorist organization). The decision to initiate a criminal case stated that Galiullin, while in detention, conducted “collective and individual conversations” with prisoners and tried to involve them in the activities of Hizb ut Tahrir.

Thus, the Russian authorities want to suppress the activities of this organization by intimidating its members with prisons, which for many are already becoming life-long, knowing that the party and its members have nothing to do with terrorism, terrorist attacks or anything like that. An increasing number of lawyers and human rights activists, journalists and politicians are becoming aware that the ban on Hizb ut Tahrir is nothing more than a political decision, resulting in 2003 the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation decided to recognize this organization as terrorist.

Allah (swt) in the Quran said:

[يُرِيدُونَ لِيُطْفِئُوا نُورَ اللَّهِ بِأَفْوَاهِهِمْ وَاللَّهُ مُتِمُّ نُورِهِ وَلَوْ كَرِهَ الْكَافِرُونَ]

“They wish to extinguish Allah’s light with their mouths, but Allah will ˹certainly˺ perfect His light, even to the dismay of the disbelievers.” [TMQ 61:8].

Written for the Central Media Office of Hizb ut Tahrir by
Shaikhetdin Abdullah