06:19, 24 June 2026

Three residents of Dagestan have been accused of participating in an extremist group.

Criminal cases have been opened against three residents of the village of Gubben as part of a criminal investigation into the organization of an extremist group. They are also accused of extortion committed by an organized group.

As reported by the "Caucasian Knot," a group operated in the village of Gubden in the Karabudakhkent district for more than 10 years. It organized "patrols," using pressure and violence against people whose lifestyles did not correspond with the religious beliefs of the group members. Nine of those detained have already been arrested, and the case against two more is pending trial, investigators reported on April 30.

Sharia patrols in Gubden have been unable to operate undetected for more than 10 years; the current arrests are the result of a command from above. The very emergence of such structures demonstrates a management vacuum at the grassroots level and dissatisfaction with local authorities, analysts noted.

According to investigators, between 2015 and 2018, an extremist group was created in the village of Gubden in the Karabudakhkent district, operating under a unified radical religious belief system. The community members disseminated extremist ideology, recruited new members, and used pressure and violence against people who did not share their beliefs, the Investigative Committee of Dagestan reported on its Telegram channel.

No later than 2019, three suspects voluntarily joined this community and participated in its activities. According to the investigation, they participated in so-called "patrols," during which they identified individuals whose lifestyle, in their opinion, contradicted the community's accepted rules. They then took them to a specially designated room, where they subjected them to physical and psychological abuse.

Furthermore, the investigation established that in May 2019, community members extorted money from a local resident. After threats and violence, they seized his cash in the amount of 150,000 rubles.

Criminal cases against three villagers have been opened on charges of participation in an extremist group and extortion committed by an organized group .

"Currently, a series of investigative actions are being carried out in the criminal cases aimed at consolidating the evidence base, establishing all the circumstances of the crimes committed, as well as identifying additional episodes of illegal activity and other individuals involved in the functioning of the extremist group," the department said in a statement.

In April 2022, the Urvan Court sentenced 11 residents of the village of Anzorey to suspended sentences, finding them guilty in the case of an extremist community. According to the prosecution, the defendants, guided by Sharia norms, used force against those who did not share their views. The defendants' lawyers and relatives, however, claimed that domestic conflicts were the reason for the extremism case, according to the "Caucasian Knot" article "Anzorei Patrols: From Sharia to Extremism".

In September 2024, similar actions were charged with 15 residents of the Baksan District: according to the investigation, they "subjected to physical violence and psychological pressure" people whose behavior did not correspond to their ideology.

In June 2026, seventeen people were convicted in Kabardino-Balkaria in the "Sharia Patrol" case. The Cherek District Court of Kabardino-Balkaria sentenced the organizer of the "Sharia Patrol" to four years and three months in prison. The remaining members of the group received sentences of two years and more.

Translated automatically via Google translate from https://www.kavkaz-uzel.eu/articles/424362