Press Release
Stop Slandering Hizb ut Tahrir
(Translated)

The National Anti-Terrorism Body held a press conference on 16/12/2014 in Moscow, and as usual, it included slurs on Hizb ut Tahrir. In particular the first deputy head of the body, Yevgeny Ilyin, literally said: "Members of the terrorist group Imarat Kavkaz (Caucasus Emirate) who are fighting for the Islamic State and Hizb ut Tahrir terrorist groups are returning to commit acts of terrorism in Russia". He added, "According to the information available to us now there is 800 to 1500 members (of the Caucasus Emirate) who are active in the ranks of these groups", and added that "these three groups have a common interest".

The National Anti-Terrorism Body knows well and without the slightest doubt that Hizb ut Tahrir is a political party which rejects violence as a way of establishing an Islamic state. Therefore, the Head of the National Anti-Terrorism Body had deliberately mentioned Hizb ut Tahrir together with those groups which are known to undertake armed actions, in order to link the name of Hizb ut Tahrir to terrorism.

The reason for such allegations from the leaders of the security authorities is to justify to themselves of the unprecedented repressive acts against members of Hizb ut Tahrir in Russia. Although there is no evidence to prove the involvement of Hizb ut Tahrir in acts of violence, it is still on the list of terrorist organizations, which indicates the reason for the fabrication of criminal acts against the members of the party. When the new items in the Federal Crimes Act were enforced in 2014, dozens of Hizb ut Tahrir's Shababs were arrested in Bashkortostan, Tatarstan, Chelyabinsk region and Saint Petersburg, on charges of participating in "activities of terrorist organizations".

With regard to the words of Ilyin regarding the three organizations (ISIS, the Caucasus Emirate, Hizb ut Tahrir) and his saying that "they have common interests", our stance toward the armed actions is known and famous. According to the logic of the Anti-Terrorism Body, millions of Russian Muslims who are eager to adhere to their religion they also have links with (the Caucasus Emirate and ISIS); since the establishment of the Islamic Khilafah "Caliphate" became the expectation of all Muslims of the world.

The only reason for this savage unjust policy against Islam is the fear of Islam which prompted the authorities to fight not only calls for Khilafah "Caliphate" but even to fight any manifestation of Islam among Russian Muslims who number 20 million Muslims, even if this was in their dress code, symbol or education.

 Media Office of Hizb ut Tahrir
in Russia