MOSCOW (Sputnik) — Moscow's Meshchansky District Court arrested until December 12 all 20 detainees suspected in membership in the outlawed international Islamist network Hizb ut-Tahrir, a spokeswoman for the court said Tuesday.
"The court has chosen a custody for all detainees as a pre-trial restriction," Yulia Bocharova told RIA Novosti.
All of the arrested pleaded not guilty.
Hizb ut-Tahrir (Islamic Party of Liberation) is an international Islamist network that positions itself as a political organization. It seeks to unify Muslim countries into one caliphate ruled by strict Islamic law.
The network was founded in 1953. It is believed to have branched out to 40 countries and runs a regional division in Copenhagen. The radical group, that earlier claimed readiness for joint actions with ISIL jihadist group, is banned in Russia according to a 2003 Supreme Court ruling.
