Daghestan
Women in niqabs reportedly stopped by security forces in Daghestan
State officials have stated the document checks are being conducted to find persons suspected of committing a crime.
Freedom of Religion
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Ingushetia
Religious leaders in Ingushetia accuse security forces of torturing detained imam
The Muslim community in Ingushetia has issued an open appeal to the authorities to respond to the claims of torture.
Azerbaijan
Planted drugs and physical abuse: the detention of Muslim activists in Azerbaijan
As tensions with Iran have increased, so have the risks of being a Muslim activist in Azerbaijan. Faced with a lack of evidence, however, Azerbaijani authorities have looked at other ways, from intimidation to false drug charges, to get the results they want. On 26 October, Ahsan Nuruzada, a member of the Muslim Unity Movement, a religious opposition group in Azerbaijan, was detained by four men in civilian clothing. For the next three days, Nuruzada’s family had no idea of his whereabou
Azerbaijan
Opinion | First they came for the Muslims, and we did not speak out…
The mass arrest of religious Muslims in Azerbaijan is part of a blatant state campaign to control religion and demonise Iran. As such, the deafening silence among Azerbaijani activists and the international community is nothing short of a disgrace. On 7 April, I attended the trial of Nijat Aliyev, a member of the Muslim Union Movement. Except for a handful of social activists, I could see no one else in the courtroom except for Nijat’s relatives — the sight of whom hurt my heart. While we
Azerbaijan
Hunger strike of Azerbaijani religious leader continues
Taleh Baghirzade, chair of Azerbaijan’s Muslim Unity Movement, has been on hunger strike since 3 June in protest against the arrest and alleged torture of members of his organisation. Baghirzade has also demanded an apology from the law enforcement officers who allegedly insulted God while interrogating a member of the group. Baghirzade’s lawyer, Fakhraddin Mehdiyev, told OC Media that despite having ‘serious health problems’ his client would not stop his hunger strike until ‘the perpetrator
Azerbaijan
Azerbaijani Shia theologian ‘recorded secret sex tapes’ of others
Pro-government social media channels in Azerbaijan have released footage of Shia theologian Sardar Babayev, who is awaiting trial for treason, appearing to secretly record intimate encounters of other Shia activists. Two similar videos began circulating on 10 November. In both, Babayev is seen planting a camera in a room, after which a religious activist enters and has sex with someone. Sardar Babayev was detained by the State Security Service on 19 October before being charged with treason
Azerbaijan
Roundup of Shia figures continues in Azerbaijan
A Shia theologian has become the latest to be arrested in Azerbaijan in an apparent roundup of prominent Shia figures in the country. On 25 October, Ahliman Rustamov, a theologian and former prayer leader of the Haji Javad Mosque in Baku, was detained by the State Security Service and taken for questioning, before being released shortly after. His son, Gasim Rustamov, told OC Media that Security Service agents confiscated ‘about 15 religious books’ belonging to his father. ‘We were not tol
