Russian prosecutors said on Thursday they saw evidence of extremism in statements by a prominent Muslim lawyer who vowed bloodshed in Russia if the authorities refuse to establish Islamic law courts.
Dagir Khasavov, a lawyer and aide to an upper house committee chairman, said in an interview with the REN TV channel on Tuesday that Russia’s Muslims will establish their own rules on their territory, and attempts to resist them will result in bloodshed.
An examination by the Russian Institute of Cultural Studies revealed that remarks made during the interview “are directed at inciting hatred and animosity, as well as at humiliating a person or a group of people on the basis of their attitude towards a religion - Islam - and may be considered calls to carry out extremist activities,” said Marina Gridneva, a spokeswoman for the Russian Prosecutor General’s office.
Gridneva said the interview may be considered the propaganda of exceptionalism or superiority of people on the basis of their religious beliefs.
A warning was issued to Alexander Ordzhonikidze, the head of the REN-TV channel, which aired the broadcast.
The Prosecutor General’s office also informed the Russian Justice Ministry about possible violations of the federal law on advocacy and of lawyers’ professional code of conduct. A lawyer’s license may be revoked for such violations.
The Russian legal system, established by the constitution and the and federal laws, envisages only constitutional, civil, criminal, administrative and arbitration justicement and does not include religious courts. No other individuals or bodes have the right to administer justice.
