Supporters of Hizb ut-Tahrir Islamic Organization Fleeing Crimea

A large number of activists and supporters of the organization Hizb ut-Tahrir al-Islami, which is banned in Russia, left Crimea after the occupation of the peninsula, the first deputy chairman of the executive committee of the World Congress of Tatars Renat Valiullin has said, UNIAN reports.

“There are many mosques in Simferopol and Crimea. However, there are trends, which at once time were quite widespread in Ukraine, for example, the activity of the party Hizb ut- Tahrir, which is not prohibited by law in Ukraine, but in Russia it is recognized as an extremist organization,” said Valiullin.

According to him, after the occupation of Crimea by Russia quite a large number of supporters of the Islamic left the Crimea. He added that he would like to name specific numbers.

Hizb ut-Tahrir is an Islamic organization founded in 1953 in East Jerusalem by a local Sharia court judge. The declared goal of the organization is to “restore the just Islamic way of life and Islamic State (Caliphate) and implement it in an Islamic system.” In the EU Hizb ut-Tahrir is banned in Germany (for anti-Semitic propaganda), as well as in Denmark and the UK.

In February 2003 the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation declared it a terrorist organization and banned its activities.