Russian law enforcement agencies have claimed that members of the Batalkhadzhin Sufi community were linked to the Caucasus Emirate*, a militant Islamist organisation. Human rights advocates, however, have questioned the allegations, noting that the group effectively ceased to exist more than a decade ago and that publicly available case materials contain little evidence of specific acts of support for militants.
A resident of Sevastopol, 40-year-old Alexey Rodin, reported an illegal detention and the use of violence by security forces. According to him, law enforcement officers broke into his house, accusing him of publishing a comment on Telegram approving the attack on police officers in Dagestan on June 23, 2024.
Rodin denies involvement in this comment and claims that he was tortured, demanding a confession.
After the arrest, the man was taken to the anti-extremism department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs. The court found him guilty of disobeying police officers and imposed a fine. No charges of justifying terrorism were brought.
Rodin links his detention with previous convictions for "discrediting the army" and "demonstrating Nazi symbols." He went to the hospital complaining of injuries and filed a statement with the Investigative Committee.