Shamil Fataliyev

According to the investigation, no later than 18 August 2015, Fataliyev had a criminal intent to organise the activities of a cell of the international religious association "At-Takfir Val-Hijra".... Acting alone, he attracted other persons involved in the case as members of the cell. Used a flat in St. Petersburg to gather participants. He made commitments to the development of the group, aimed at increasing the number of participants, training (lessons and educational trips), control over preparation for and attendance at classes, as well as internal rules in the form of obedience and subordination to members higher in the hierarchy. Fataliyev admitted that they did indeed gather in the flat (all visited it with varying frequency), holding collective Friday namaz and discussing domestic and religious matters on Tuesdays. It follows from the testimony of the accused that he enjoyed the greatest authority as the eldest. He testified that the room in the communal flat in question in the indictment had previously been rented by a friend of his, and that since 2014 he himself had been using it to store his work tools in the city centre. At first, several members of Fataliyev's work team and his son came to pray, and gradually several other acquaintances joined them.