Idris Yurdamov, a head of the ESKI QIRIM independent Muslim community, was handed a administrative report notice by the officers of the Main Department for Counteracting Extremism, Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation (E Center) in the occupied Crimea. The occupiers suspect him of “storing extremist materials’ as they say. Mr. Yurdamov reported this to the CRIMEAN SOLIDARITY.
On June 5, 2025, the security men came to Zubeir Dzhami Mosque, examined the building and claimed that this was a “routine inspection”.
“On June 11, 2025, the policemen came to Yurdamov again, with a notice, though the mosque has been supervised by representatives of the Muslim Spiritual Directorate for Crimea for several months. The document states that “upon the outcomes of the carried inspection” actions of ESKI QIRIM head demonstrate elements of the offence under RF CoAO Article 20.29 (production and distribution of extremist materials)”, CRIMEAN SOLIDARITY wrote.
The document with a demand to visit the E Center unit on June 13 to draw up a report was signed by Ruslan Shambazov, the head of unit. He has been many times engaged in opening administrative cases against Crimean Tatar activists, human rights defenders, journalists and religious figures.
“The security man indicated that ESKI QIRIM community had connections with Zubeir Dzhami mosque in Staryi Krym where books from the list of banned literature were found and seized. There were “Munajat” (Supplication). The Third Ray”, a book from Said Nursi’s Risale-i Nur Collection, and “The System of Islam” by Taqi al-Din al-Nabhani. According to the security man, ESKI QIRIM “allowed storing the extremist materials to distribute them en masse” and violated the article on producing and distributing such materials (RF CoAO Article 20.29), the notice says.
In late March 2024, “Kirovskiy District Court” of Crimea, based on this report, fined the community RUB100,000, and in May this decision was upheld by the “Supreme Court” of Crimea.
Lawyer Rustem Kiamiliev considers this case a fake. “The case has been cooked up to press the religious community out of the mosque”, Mr.Kiamiliev said.
As stated by religious figures and their representatives in the court, the ESKI QIRIM Muslim community acts legally and is registered according to the law.
For instance, on February 29th 2024, the security men came to the houses of Izet Saifullin, the Imam of the ESKI QIRIM independent Muslim community, and Idris Yurdamov, the head of the community. Mr.Yurdamov was released and Mr.Saifullin was drawn up a report for violating the missionary activity procedure. When the report had been drawn up, he was released from the police.
