Ruslan Iusupov
Ruslan Iusupov, born 1977, Moscow. Charges: Article 205.2 part 1, Russian Criminal Code (Public incitement to terrorism, or justification of terrorism); “The case of a Moscow resident with shahada on car”. Sentence (July 1, 2025): 3 years' imprisonment in a general regime penal colony. Status: imprisoned.
In brief
Moscow · Moscow · Terrorism cases
Sentence
3 years
imprisonment in a general regime penal colony
Upheld December 10, 2025
Charges
- Article 205.2 part 1, Russian Criminal Code — Public incitement to terrorism, or justification of terrorism
Full wording of the charges
The reason for the case was the placement of a shahada in Arabic on the car window (shahada is the first of the five pillars of Islam, uniting two of its main provisions: confession of monotheism and recognition of Muhammad's prophetic mission). The investigation interpreted the Islamic symbol as an inscription associated with the terrorist organisation Al-Qaeda.
Latest event
December 10, 2025 — appeal
The court upheld the verdict.
Timeline
· Appeal ruling
upheld
· First-instance verdict
guilty verdict · 3 years
· Added to the Rosfinmonitoring list of “terrorists and extremists”
· Persecution begins
The case of a Moscow resident with shahada on car
Criminal case
The case of a Moscow resident with shahada on car
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Details and sources
Full summary
Resident of Moscow, originally from Chechnya. In September 2024 he was imprisoned in a case on justification of terrorism.
He was initially accused of reposting a video of the Taliban on VKontakte. Then he was also accused of posting a shahada in Arabic on his car window (shahada is the first of the five pillars of Islam, uniting two of its main provisions: confession of monotheism and recognition of Muhammad's prophetic mission). The investigation interpreted the Islamic symbol as an inscription associated with the terrorist organisation Al-Qaeda. According to the defence counsel, the Ministry of Justice experts decided that it was the shahada on a black background that justified terrorism, because Al-Qaeda uses it in this form as its symbol.
After the Taliban was removed from the list of terrorist organisations, the first charge was dropped and only the shahada episode remained in the case.
On 1 July 2025, Yusupov was sentenced to three years in a general regime penal colony.
All fields of the record
- Citizenship
- Russia
Other people prosecuted under Article 205.2 part 1, Russian Criminal Code
Under the same article, not necessarily in the same case.