Russian deputy mufti fined again over paintings in his office
A Moscow court fined Damir Mukhetdinov, deputy chairman of the Spiritual Board of Muslims of Russia, 20,000 rubles for inciting enmity over two paintings in his office. This is the second time he has been penalized for the artwork, amid a broader crackdown on Muslim clergy across Russia.
A Moscow judge has fined Damir Mukhetdinov, the deputy chairman of the Spiritual Board of Muslims of Russia, 20,000 rubles for inciting enmity, according to the Russian Telegram news channel Ostorozhno Novosti. The case stems from two paintings displayed in Mukhetdinov's office: "The Capture of Vasily the Blind near Suzdal" and "The Feast on the Kalka." The board posted photos of the paintings on its website after Mukhetdinov met with Muslims from Donetsk.
Earlier this June, Mukhetdinov was fined 150,000 rubles for desecrating religious objects — a penalty also linked to the Kalka painting, which depicts the 1223 Battle of the Kalka River between the Mongol army and an alliance of Rus' principalities and the Polovtsians.
This spring, Russian security forces detained and arrested muftis and other Muslim religious and community figures across the country. Political scientists specializing in Islamic studies, independent journalists, and pro-war "Z-bloggers" believe this campaign of persecution targets the Spiritual Board of Muslims of Russia, particularly its head, Mufti Ravil Gainutdin.
