Alleged Members Of Banned Islamic Group Detained In Russia

Three alleged members of the banned Islamic organization Hizb ut-Tahrir have been detained in the Chelyabinsk region in Russia's Ural Mountains.

Russia's Federal Security Service said on June 1 that the men, whose names were not disclosed, were suspected in propagating extremist ideas in the region.

The suspects are facing charges of participation in activities of a terrorist group.

Several members of Hizb ut-Tahrir have been arrested or sentenced in recent months in the Chelyabinsk region that borders Kazakhstan and Russia's mainly Muslim region of Bashkortostan.

Hizb ut-Tahrir is a global organization based in London that seeks to unite all Muslim countries into an Islamic caliphate.

Russia's Supreme Court banned Hizb ut-Tahrir in 2003, branding its supporters "extremists."

Members of Hizb ut-Tahrir insist the group is peaceful.

Based on reporting by TASS and Interfax