MOSCOW (TASS) --- Moscow’s Meshchansky Court arrested one of several members of the Hizb ut-Tahrir (“Party of Liberation”) outlawed international terror group, detained by the intelligence services in 10 different regions of Russia, the court press service told TASS, adding that the suspect was arrested for 2 months.

“Khaidarov O. was put into custody until April 16, 2021. He is charged with [participation in organization deemed terrorist]”, the press service said. Khaidarov is facing up to 20 years in prison.

Previously, the Federal Security Service (FSB) of Russia disclosed that member of the Hizb ut-Tahrir terror groups were apprehended in Crimea, Moscow, St. Petersburg, Primorsky, Krasnoday, Bashkiria regions, Orlov,Kaluga, Invanovo regions and the republic of Dagestan.

According to the FSB, “the group members disseminated a belligerent Islamist terror ideology — including via the Internet — featuring intolerance to other religions, and recruited Russian muslims into the ranks of the international terror group.”

Criminal cases were initiated against seven apprehended people.

In Central Asia, Hizb ut-Tahrir has expanded since the breakup of the Soviet Union in the early 1990s from a small group to one of the most powerful organizations operating in Central Asia. Estimates of the party’s size in Central Asia range from 15,000 to 100,000. The region itself has been called “the primary battleground” for the party. Uzbekistan is the hub of the party’s activities in Central Asia, while its “headquarters” is now reportedly in Kyrgyzstan.

In the late 1990, the former president of Uzbekistan Islam Karimov launched an extensive crackdown on Islamic organizations, such as Hizb ut-Tahrir, forcing their members to flee abroad. Russia being the top destination for the labour migrants from Uzbekistan accommodated a significant number of silent adepts from Uzbekistan.