Farit Sharifullin

On 19 February 2020, a criminal case was initiated against Farit Sharifullin on charges of organising the activities of a terrorist organisation, as well as recruitment to a terrorist organisation and acquisition of a fake ID. According to the case materials, on 21 February he was detained in Bryansk together with Marsel Gimaliev, who had been on the wanted list since 2017. Both were sent to Kazan and taken into custody there.

However, as follows from the rulings of the Fokinsky District Court of Bryansk, Sharifullin and Gimaliev were detained on 14 February 2020 and arrested the next day for seven days under the article on petty hooliganism - the protocols stated that they were swearing loudly in a public place.

On 25 October 2022, Sharifullin was sentenced to 18 years in a strict regime penal colony.

In November 2024, it became known that the colony where Sharifullin is being held systematically violates the rights of Muslims: they are not allowed to read namaz on time, prayer mats were taken away in the punishment isolation centre, and the prayer room is not allowed under fabricated pretexts. The prisoner was placed in a punishment cell after he tried to take a Koran from the staff, which was taken away from him and trampled with feet in his presence. On another occasion, he was sent to a punishment cell because he left his workplace and went to read namaz.

You can read more about politically persecuted people in the Telegram channel OVD-Info LIVE and our politically motivated criminal prosecutions in Russia database