More than a hundred supporters of Imam Tamaskhanov came to support him in court.
More than a hundred people attended the Magas District Court of Ingushetia, where the trial of Imam Muhammad Tamaskhanov, accused of failing to report a crime, began. The judge, citing technical problems, adjourned the hearing.
As reported by the "Caucasian Knot," on April 12, 2025, the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for Ingushetia opened a criminal case against Imams Muhammad Tamaskhanov and Magomed Sultygov for failing to report a crime. Both imams were released on their own recognizance. Both are popular among followers of the Salafi school of Islam.
On April 10, 2025, Muhammad Tamaskhanov, imam of a mosque in Nazran, and Magomed Sultygov, imam of a mosque in Karabulak, were detained in Ingushetia. The reason for their detention was allegedly concealing information about a request for assistance from Khazir Ganiev, a member of a militant group associated with Amirkhan Gurazhev that had attacked traffic police posts in the republic. Criminal charges of failure to report were brought against both imams, according to the "Caucasian Knot" article "Highlights of the Detention of Ingush Imams Tamaskhanov and Sultygov." Tamaskhanov denied the charges, and Sultygov also maintained his innocence.
On February 18, the trial of Muhammad Tamaskhanov, a well-known imam in the republic, began in Ingushetia. He is accused of failing to report a terrorist crime in the "Gurazhev group" case. Federal Judge Rashid Tsitskiev is hearing the criminal case in the Magas District Court, Fortanga reported today.
According to the publication, more than 100 people came to support Tamaskhanov, and the area surrounding the building was cordoned off by armed security forces and police cars.
"It turns out that the entire trial falls during the last 10 days of the holy month of Ramadan. This raises the question: was the judge guided by a desire for justice or a desire to please those who initiated this case when setting this date?" the participant said.
The arrest of imams Muhammad Tamaskhanov and Magomed Sultygov has sparked widespread controversy. Security forces used brute force to detain Imam Magomed Tamaskhanov and pressured him to confess to ties to a terrorist group, according to religious leaders who demanded Ingush authorities intervene.
Tamaskhanov "was forced into his home, thrown to the floor, restrained, and taken to the security forces' center in Magas. Using illegal interrogation methods, they demanded he confess to meeting with an extremist element with whom Magomed is completely unfamiliar, has never met, and has had no dealings," the statement reads. It was specifically emphasized that Tamaskhanov was not acquainted with Ganiev.
The criminal case against Ingush imams is related to religious activity, including the construction of mosques and support for the "Antilirika" movement, stated Muhammad Tamaskhanov.
Muftiates exist within the legal framework of the state, and their cooperation with the authorities cannot be determined by medieval Sharia rulings, and there are no modern fatwas on this matter, analysts noted, commenting on the prosecution of imams Tamaskhanov and Sultygov, who are accused of failure to report.