Human rights activist Bakhrom Khamroev sentenced to 14 years in prison for ‘justifying terrorism’
Human rights activist Bakhrom Khamroev has been sentenced to 14 years in a penal colony for “justifying terrorism” and “organizing the activities of a terrorist organization,” reports the human rights organization Memorial.
The prosecutor, who opened the criminal case against Khamroev in February 2022, had requested he be sentenced to 21 years in prison. According to the prosecution, Khamroev’s posts on Facebook expressed support for the international pan-Islamic political party Hizb ut-Tahrir. In October 2022, he was also charged with “organizing the activities of a terrorist organization” for helping Muslims who were persecuted for suspected ties to Hizb ut-Tahrir.
Khamroev pleaded not guilty. He stated that he has never been a member of Hizb ut-Tahrir and only engaged in human rights assistance to its alleged members.
Bakhrom Khamroev has worked as a human rights activist in Russia since 1992. In recent years, his work has focused on defending the rights of migrants from Central Asia and Russia’s Muslim population, writes OVD-Info.
