Support The Moscow Times!

Imam Who Possessed Weapons Detained in Russia's South-West

A local mosque imam was detained in Belgorod, a south-western Russian city, on Saturday, local law enforcing institutions source said, state news agency TASS reported Tuesday.

The imam was detained by Federal Security Service officers at his apartment, where multiple weapons and explosives had been discovered, sources said.

Officials from regional FSB and police officers declined to comment on the detention, TASS said.

In October, FSB reported that intelligence agents had detained at least 20 members of Hizb ut-Tahrir, an Islamist organization banned in Russia as a “terrorist” group organization, in the Moscow region.

Earlier in October, 10 people from Central Asia were arrested in Moscow and the surrounding region, on suspicion of involvement with the Islamic State terror organization, media reported.

Sign up for our free weekly newsletter

Our weekly newsletter contains a hand-picked selection of news, features, analysis and more from The Moscow Times. You will receive it in your mailbox every Friday. Never miss the latest news from Russia. Preview
Subscribers agree to the Privacy Policy

A Message from The Moscow Times:

Dear readers,

We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent."

These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia.

We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help.

Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact.

By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us.

Once
Monthly
Annual
Continue
paiment methods
Not ready to support today?
Remind me later.

Read more