Freedom of religion in the temporarily occupied Crimea: who influences what is said in mosques after the occupation?

In 2014, Western publicists and other commentators found many ways to justify the Russian occupation of the Crimean Peninsula. The most widespread argument was about the ethnic composition of the population of Crimea, they say, many Russians live there, and Russians should live in Russia. Although there are Ukrainians, but there are not many of them. 

This is a black-and-white picture of the world, which ignores the fact that, except the Russians and Ukrainians, Crimean Tatars, Krymchaks and Kyrimls live in Crimea too and they are indigenous people of Ukraine. Since the beginning of the occupation, most of them live in Crimea, in their native land, where they returned from Soviet deportation only 30 years ago. On the eve of the full-scale invasion, several hundred thousand Crimean Tatars or 20% of the population of the peninsula lived in the occupation, the Association for the Reintegration of Crimea estimated. The Kremlin constantly repressed them: the Crimean Tatar Resource Center established that in 2021 Russian security forces detained 330 people. However, not all repressions can be reduced to numbers. They can have more invisible forms: someone is tortured by security forces, someone is fined, and someone is afraid to speak out. A repressive regime can limit even the freedom of religion, so that a person does not feel free and cannot realize their potential. 

Russia often resorts to repressive actions against religious groups, especially when it concerns Islam, the Crimean Tatars, and the Ukrainian people. 

In Crimea, repression against Muslims began immediately after the occupation. Thus, in June 2014, the FSB illegally entered a madrasa (Muslim educational institution) in the town of Bulganak (Kolchugin). Security forces interrogated the deputy head of the madrasa Ayder Osmanov, but then let him go. This was the first step — during the first seven months of the occupation, the Russians searched eight educational institutions of the Spiritual Administration of the Muslims of Crimea (DUMK). They were connected with the parliament of the Crimean Tatar people, the Mejlis. 

However, this is not the only religious organization of Muslims on the peninsula. Since 2010, the Spiritual Center of the Muslims of Crimea (DCMK) has existed in Crimea. A confrontation arose between the Administration and the Center, explains political scientist Elmira Muratova. The administration called the Center a sectarian organization of Habashists — followers of the Ethiopian theologian Abdullah al-Harari al-Habashi. Others claimed that the Office provides a shelter to Hizb ut-Tahrir members (Russia has recognized them as a terrorist organization, but Ukraine has not). The mutual accusations of both muftiats do not correspond to reality, explains the Crimean Tatar human rights defender Ediye [name changed for security reasons — note. ed.]. At the beginning of the occupation, the Russians tried to find a common language with all political and religious players. However, later they refused to cooperate with the Mejlis, its chairman Rafat Chubarov and the leader of the Crimean Tatar people, Mustafa Dzhemilev, were not allowed to enter. Later, criminal cases were initiated against both of them. The Spiritual Administration associated with the Majlis was under threat. 

This was the first step — during the first seven months of the occupation, the Russians searched eight educational institutions of the Spiritual Administration of the Muslims of Crimea (DUMK). They were connected with the parliament of the Crimean Tatar people, the Mejlis. 

However, this is not the only religious organization of Muslims on the peninsula. Since 2010, the Spiritual Center of the Muslims of Crimea (DCMK) has existed in Crimea. A confrontation arose between the Administration and the Center, explains political scientist Elmira Muratova. The administration called the Center a sectarian organization of Habashists — followers of the Ethiopian theologian Abdullah al-Harari al-Habashi. Others claimed that the Office provides asylum to Hizb ut-Tahrir members (Russia has recognized them as a terrorist organization, but Ukraine has not). The mutual accusations of both muftiats do not correspond to reality, explains the Crimean Tatar human rights defender Ediye [name changed for security reasons — note. ed.]. 

At the beginning of the occupation, the Russians tried to find a common language with all political and religious players. However, later they refused to cooperate with the Mejlis, its chairman Rafat Chubarov and the leader of the Crimean Tatar people, Mustafa Dzhemilev, were banned from entering. Later, criminal cases were initiated against both of them. The Spiritual Administration associated with the Majlis was under threat. 

The spiritual center decided to take advantage of the occupation to seize the position of religious leader on the peninsula. However, they did not succeed. "At the beginning of the invasion, it seemed that the Russians would favor the Center. However, it seems that the Administration was able to convince the Russians that it will be loyal and will not oppose the occupation," says Felix Corley, an analyst at the human rights organization "Forum 18". 

"Then the Spiritual Administration of Muslims completely changed the trajectory of its movement. This was noticed even by people who are not Crimean Tatars," Ediye says. Why did the mufti go for it? There are several explanations. The administration obviously wanted to maintain its position in the religious life of Crimea. In practice: it went to cooperation with the Russians, who are still repressing the Crimean Tatars, Ediye explains. 

Loyalty is at the heart of Russian religious repression. "The Russians want to completely control society: trade unions, parties, media, religious groups. They are afraid that these organizations can mobilize people against the government, act outside of its control,” says Corley. Ediye agrees: "Their task is to lull any protest sentiments among Crimean Muslims and use religious organizations to control sentiments." 

This is not an invention of the FSB (Federal Security Service). Similar processes took place at the end of the 18th century, when the Russian Empire occupied the Crimean Peninsula. In order to achieve their goals, the representatives of Catherine II also used the Muslim organizations of Crimea, which were more inclined to dialogue than political ones, Ediye explains. Thanks to this, the concept of dividing Islam into "traditional" and "non-traditional" emerged. Representatives of "non-traditional" Islam became targets for repression. 

In order to ensure the loyalty of the Spiritual Administration, the Russians began to finance its activities through institutions close to the state, Muratova writes. In addition, in 2015, the occupation authorities began the construction of a cathedral mosque in Simferopol. In some places, the Crimean Tatars had a positive attitude to the project, because they fought for a long time to have a cathedral mosque, Deputy Chairman of Mejilis Nariman Dzhelal explained to “Crimea.Realities”. 

Not all religious communities were under the control of the muftiyat. Some were independent. In order to completely destroy their autonomy, the occupation administration decided to hand over all mosques to the Administration. Although it was announced in 2018, in practice it continues to this day. So, in 2020, security forces seized a mosque in the village of Savurchi (Zavitne), claiming that it was a "sports complex." 

In 2015, the temporary occupation administration blocked the Spiritual Center from re-registration, so the Center also came under repression. For example, it includes the community in the village of Foti-Sala. The Russians create bureaucratic obstacles in its activities: in January 2022, the occupation administration entered the village mosque and accused the community of not providing timely updated information. Because of this, in March, the court fined Muslims from Foti-Sal. The Russians then accused them of ties to foreign organizations, Forum 18 says. 

The story of the independent community "Alushta" was even more tragic. Since 1994, the city mosque has been in use by the community, but the Russian authorities sought to hand it over to the Administration. Community leader Lenur Khalilov sued the city's occupation authorities. The meeting was already scheduled, but a few weeks before it, Russian security forces kidnapped Khalilov and several other members of the community, accusing them of membership in Hizb ut-Tahrir and preparation for terrorist acts. The "Court" sentenced all the abductees to long prison terms, including Khalilov - 18 years. 

Another example of resistance is the case of Emir Medzhitov, imam of the village of Bai Konchek (October). The community of this village was not officially registered, but Medzhitov continued to hold ceremonies. He understood that the Russian security forces would not pass by - they qualify such actions as "illegal missionary activity." On February 18, 2022, Medzhitov announced the Friday prayer. Among the believers was a "mole" of the FSB. He recorded Medzhitov on video. Russian security forces were already waiting under the mosque. In April, the "court" illegally fined Medzhitov, but the imam's defense filed an appeal. The Court of Appeal rejected it. 

Medzhitov's case is not the only one involving hidden recordings of prayers or conversations in the mosque. Russian security forces often build such "evidence". This actually becomes another limitation of freedom of religion: Crimean Tatars cannot feel safe even in a church. For example, in the case of the "third Bakhchisarai group Hizb ut-Tahrir" a recording of conversations in the Takhtala-Jami mosque in Bakhchisarai was used. This mosque is controlled by the DUMK (Spiritual administration of the Muslims of Crimea), but this did not protect the two Crimean Tatars from repression. 

The Russians used audio recordings of a conversation on religious topics also in the case of the "second Bakhchisarai group Hizb ut-Tahrir". Dzhemil Gafarov is among the twenty Crimean Tatars accused of it. Since 2019, security forces have been illegally holding him in a detention center, even though the Crimean Tatar has heart and kidney disease. On October 27, 2022, he suffered a heart attack in the pre-trial detention center. Before that, speaking at the "court" session on October 14, he declared: "As long as I am alive, I will resist and defend my rights." 

Not everyone chooses Gafarov's path. What does loyalty to Russia mean in practice? Spiritual management is a player in the field of Russian propaganda. This became most obvious after the announcement of mobilization in Russia. The head of the administration, Emirali Ablayev, endured a pause for several days, but later called on the Crimean Tatars not to run away from "mobilization". He also said that the soldier "must repay the debt". Ablayev did not stop there: he went to the military unit, where illegally mobilized people were taken, Ediye recalls. There he allegedly met with the Crimean Tatars and called on Muslims to pray for them. 

At the same time, this does not mean that the Muslims of Crimea share his views. Those with whom Ablaev allegedly met were filmed from behind, many of them hid their faces. "There were no Crimean Tatars who came en masse to serve of their own free will," Ediye says. 

The actions of the Administration caused criticism. "Even if we abstract from the political component of Ablayev's statements, from a religious point of view, the Russian invasion of Ukraine is not a war in the interests of Muslims. Attacking civilian objects is not possible within the limits of Islam," the human rights activist explains. 

A full-scale invasion added to the risks for Muslims that they already had. If Muslims gather together and pray for the killed Ukrainian civilians, the Russian security forces will interpret even this as disloyalty. In addition, repression continues: in August, another arrest was made in Dzhankoy district in the cases of Hizb ut-Tahrir. A few days later, explosions rang out in the village of Azovsky, Dzhankoy district, after which the FSB accused previously kidnapped Crimean Tatars of involvement in the explosions. Evidence? Audio recording of a conversation in the mosque for 2015. 

The material was created in partnership with the Institute for War & Peace Reporting. Institute for War & Peace Reporting.