Support The Moscow Times!

Muslims Forced to Shave Beards at Gunpoint, Report Says

A group of OMON officers allegedly forced several Muslim visitors at a Surgut cafe in the Khanty-Mansiisk autonomous district to shave their beards off at gunpoint, a news report said Tuesday.

According to Faizulo Aminov, a leader of the local Tajik diaspora, witnesses said the incident occurred on March 3 at a cafe near a local mosque. Men in OMON uniforms with automatic weapons broke in and forced the cafe's visitors to get on their knees, he said, and then forced three of the visitors to shave off their beards.

It is not clear why the incident is only now being reported.

Several other visitors were reportedly taken to the local police station, where their documents were checked and they were soon released.

The Interior Ministry's branch in the Khanty-Mansiisk autonomous district told Interfax on Tuesday that a check would be opened into the incident.

… we have a small favor to ask.

As you may have heard, The Moscow Times, an independent news source for over 30 years, has been unjustly branded as a "foreign agent" by the Russian government. This blatant attempt to silence our voice is a direct assault on the integrity of journalism and the values we hold dear.

We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. Our commitment to providing accurate and unbiased reporting on Russia remains unshaken. But we need your help to continue our critical mission.

Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just 2. It's quick to set up, and you can be confident that you're making a significant impact every month by supporting open, independent journalism. Thank you.

Continue

Read more