CrimeaSOS:  the occupiers carried out the second wave of searches in Muslim communities in 100 days

On February 29, 2024, in the settlements of Zhuravky and Staryi Krym, employees of the Centre for Countering Extremism conducted searches in the homes of at least 4 families of Crimean Tatars and in a mosque. The searches took place in the morning. This is reported by “Crimean Solidarity”.
“Today’s searches and detentions are a continuation of the occupation regime’s policy of persecuting religious groups not controlled by the Kremlin. This is the second wave of searches in Muslim communities in the last 100 days”, — says CrimeaSOS analyst Yevhenii Yaroshenko. 
Two activists were detained: Lenur Yakubov and Izet Saifulin. They were taken to the police station of the Kirovske settlement. Izet Saifulin is the imam of the independent religious Muslim community “Eski Kirim”. Izet was released after some time, a protocol was drawn up against him under Article 5.26 of the Code of Administrative Offenses of the russian federation (“Performing missionary activities in violation of the requirements of the law on freedom of conscience”). 
An administrative protocol was drawn up against Lenur Yakubov under Article 20.3. (“Propaganda or public display of Nazi paraphernalia or symbols, or paraphernalia or symbols of extremist organizations”). Lenur Yakubov is likely to face several days of arrest. Lenur was brought to the Kirovske district court for a hearing, lawyer Emil Kurbedinov also came to the court hearing. The court sentenced Lenur to 14 days of arrest. 
The “Crimean Solidarity” also reports that the Centre’s employees “came by” to search the mosque. 
The searches, most likely, are carried out with the aim of removing an independent representative of the community and putting a person under the control of the russians.  
Earlier, at the end of November 2023, four members of the “Alushta” Muslim community, which has been suffering from repression for many years, were searched. Then the members of the community were either fined or arrested for a few days under the trumped-up charges of administrative offenses. 
“The communities do not want to submit to the Occupier-controlled Spiritual Administration of the Muslims of Crimea, which became one of the instruments of the occupation administration’s control over the religious life of the peninsula. One of the reasons for the searches is the contradiction regarding the appointment of imams: the occupiers demand that namaz (five times a day obligatory prayer) can be conducted only by an imam appointed by the Spiritual Administration of the Muslims of Crimea, while members of Muslim communities want prayers to be conducted by an imam of their own choosing”, – Yevhenii Yaroshenko explains.   
It shall remind that the occupiers increased pressure in Crimea in January-February. Last week, the house of activist Liutfiie Zudiieva was searched, a week before that, lawyer Emil Kurbedinov was detained. Thus, the russians try to suppress any resistance on the peninsula.  
Source of the image: Crimean Solidarity.