Chechen bookshops searched for banned Islamic literature

On 25–26 February, Chechen authorities conducted raids on bookshops in the Chechen capital, Grozny, to search for banned Islamic literature. The Chechen Department for Relations with Religious and Community Organisations, together with the Muftiate and the Prosecutor’s Office, searched for banned Islamic literature in order to ‘protect readers from the influence of extremist ideas’.

Searches were conducted in practically all bookshops in the Berkat shopping centre in the centre of Grozny. According to the department’s press service, the results of the search were satisfactory. In the course of the raid, no banned extremist literature was found. During previous inspections, several banned books and extremist leaflets were seized, for which a fine was imposed on the shopkeepers.

The federal list of extremist materials is compiled by the Russian Ministry of Justice on the basis of court decisions. It includes a variety of materials, which have been declared ‘extremist’ by the courts. The list was first published in 2007 and included 14 items. Since then, the it has been updated regularly, reaching about 4,000 items by the end of 2016.

The list includes articles, leaflets, brochures , films, musical works, and works of fine art. In Chechnya, the list includes a selection of works by famous local bard, Timur Mutsurayev.