The case of Bahrom Khamroev

In May 2023, former Memorial Human Rights Centre employee Bahrom Khamroev was sentenced to 14 years in a penal colony on charges of publicly justifying terrorism (Article 205.2 of the Criminal Code) and organising the activities of a terrorist organisation (Part 1 of Article 205.5 of the Criminal Code).

The grounds for prosecuting the human rights defender under the justification of terrorism article were his posts on social media. Investigators claimed these showed support for the Islamist party Hizb ut-Tahrir. Khamroev maintains he was never a member of this organisation, and says he only assisted Muslims accused of links to it. The second charge is also connected to providing support to those involved in Hizb ut-Tahrir-related cases.

As part of the criminal case against Khamroev, searches were conducted in the offices of Memorial and Civic Assistance—an organisation that helps refugees.

“Essentially, he is being blamed for carrying out his duty as a human rights activist, providing legal assistance to people whom he believes faced political repression, and openly expressing his opinions,” said Khamroev’s lawyer, Timofey Shirokov, commenting on the case.