In Kotelniki near Moscow, security forces detained 60 people in a mosque

Law enforcement officers detained dozens of people to check their documents in a mosque in Kotelniki, Moscow region. Muslims came there for Friday prayers.

About 60 Muslims were detained. They were taken to the police station told Mediazone lawyer of the Civic Assistance Committee Maria Krasova. According to her, the police entered the mosque during prayer and began to take the believers en masse to the paddy wagons. The law enforcers explained what was happening as a “planned document check”.

Three paddy wagons filled with people have already arrived at the Lyuberetskoye police department, said Maria Krasova. In the police department they check Muslims’ documents and take a scraping from their cheeks.

“It is important to clarify that the police behave as correctly as possible. The police gave us water, lawyers provided access, in general, everything is peaceful, calm. In this sense, everything is fine. It is not normal that we have been here for six hours, it is not clear what is happening, and the worst thing is that people came to the service, and they were simply closed there, ”said Maria Krasova.

Those remaining in the mosque were locked up in the building, she added. There, the believers are guarded by security officers in black uniforms with their faces covered. From what department they are, the defender does not know.

According to the police, some of the detainees were released from the department. Those who managed to get out of the police station say that their documents were only checked.