The court denied the batalhadzhintsy* the consideration of the claim for exclusion from the list of terrorists.

Moscow City Court upheld the termination of the case regarding the followers of Batal-Haji Belkhoroev against the FSB about including the combat wing of the community in the list of terrorist organizations. The plaintiffs stated that they are defending the memory of their ancestor and the good name of the family.

As reported by "Caucasian Knot", on October 14, the Supreme Court of Russia recognized the community of followers of Batal-Haji Belkhoroev – batalhadzhintsy* as a terrorist organization and banned it. Previously, the ban applied only to its combat wing: the corresponding decision of the Southern District Military Court came into force on December 16, 2022, and in February 2023, it became known about the inclusion of the organization in the FSB list.

On October 19, Moscow City Court rejected the appeal against the decision of the Meshchansky District Court of Moscow, which on May 22 terminated the proceedings on the claim of the descendants of Batal-Haji against the FSB. The plaintiffs contested the inclusion of the combat wing of the religious community in the federal list of terrorist organizations, reported "Kommersant" on October 19.

According to the publication, the plaintiffs argued that the termination of the case deprived them of the right to defend the "memory of the deceased ancestor, the honor of the family, and the good name of the Belkhoroev clan." They called the accusations unfounded and pointed out that the followers of the sheikh profess traditional Islam. The plaintiffs requested to overturn the decision and send the case for reconsideration to the same court, but with a different composition.

A representative of the Prosecutor General's Office opposed the satisfaction of the complaint, referring to the fact that during the proceedings, the Supreme Court banned the entire community, not just its combat wing.

The Prosecutor General's Office linked the activities of the community to the arming of participants in the attack on "Krokus City Hall," two attacks on the head of the Ingush Center for Countering Extremism Ibrahim Eldzharkiev, and assistance to a group involved in the explosion of General Igor Kirillov. The agency also stated the involvement of community members in murders, robberies, theft of state property, and illegal arms supplies.

The murder of Eldzharkiev and the terrorist attack in "Krokus City Hall"

Batalhadzhintsy* – followers of the Ingush Sufi sheikh Batal-Haji, a student of Kunta-Haji and the founder of one of the Qadiriyah orders, that is, religious brotherhoods. The core of the community consists of direct descendants of the sheikh. According to sources in 2019, the brotherhood numbered about five thousand people. Family representatives held positions in the authorities of Ingushetia and were engaged in business, which gave them political and financial influence, according to the "Caucasian Knot" reference "Batal-Haji and his followers".

On November 2, 2019, in Moscow, the head of the Ingush Center for Countering Extremism Ibrahim Eldzharkiev and his brother, doctor Ahmed Eldzharkiev, were shot dead. The investigation considered entrepreneur Hasan Polonkoyev the organizer of a terrorist community, whose members were charged with attacks on law enforcement officers. The murder occurred against the backdrop of a conflict between Eldzharkiev and batalhadzhintsy*, but investigators stated that the motive was his professional activity, and the version of blood revenge was not confirmed. At the beginning of the case review in the Southern District Military Court, all eleven defendants refused to plead guilty. The main facts about the murder and the investigation's conclusions are collected in the "Caucasian Knot" reference "Main about the murder of Ibrahim Eldzharkiev".

In November 2024, it became known about the appearance of batalhadzhintsy* in the case of the terrorist attack in the Moscow region "Krokus City Hall" – Hussein Medov and Jabrail Aushev were arrested on charges of illegal trafficking in weapons and explosives.

In addition, the court in Moscow in January 2025 arrested Batuhan Tchieiev and Ramazan Padiev, accused in the case of the terrorist attack, as a result of which Lieutenant General Igor Kirillov and his assistant were killed on December 17, 2024. According to the investigation, both natives of Ingushetia are members of the combat wing (recognized as a terrorist organization) of the batalhadzhintsy* and provided a rented apartment to a citizen of Uzbekistan, Ahmad Kurbanov, accused of murdering the general. Both Tchieiev and Padiev did not plead guilty.

The order is known for its connections with Ramzan Kadyrov

Batalhadzhintsy* – "a small but very cohesive order, also close to Ramzan Kadyrov", previously told "Caucasian Knot" project director for the North Caucasus of the International Crisis Group Ekaterina Sokiryanskaya. According to her, batalhadzhintsy* – "an order that is very active economically and in lobbying its interests".

Ramzan Kadyrov in November 2022 stood up for the Belkhoroev family, several members of which were arrested. He stated that the term "batalhadzhin terrorist society" is "absolutely impossible and absurd," and the Belkhoroevs will be just his close brothers.

On December 12 of the same year, it became known that batalhadzhintsy* formed units to participate in the SVO in exchange for Kadyrov's support. The Batalhadzhi Rapid Response Unit (BOBR) joined the special forces "Ahmat" and participates in the military operation, confirmed the head of Chechnya. The formation of such units is beneficial for batalhadzhintsy*, who attracted close attention from law enforcement, analysts noted at that time.

* recognized as a terrorist organization, whose activities are prohibited in Russia.

** the activities of the Meta company (owns Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp) are prohibited in Russia.