The Supreme Court of Russia has designated the international "Community of Followers of Batal-Khadzhi Belkhoroev" (known as the Batal-Khadzhintsy) a "terrorist organization" and banned its activities within the country. The ruling was issued on October 14 following a lawsuit filed by the Prosecutor General's Office; the hearing was held behind closed doors.
"The court established that the organization's goals and actions are aimed at the promotion, justification, and support of terrorism," the Supreme Court stated.
According to the Prosecutor General's Office, members of the community (or *vird*) provided material support to the armed underground in the North Caucasus. The agency also alleged their involvement in a number of crimes, including an attack on security personnel in Ingushetia in 2004.
The community (*vird*) is named after Batal-Khadzhi Belkhoroev, an Ingush religious figure who lived at the turn of the 20th century. In February 2023, its "combat wing" was added to Russia's list of terrorist organizations.
It remains unclear how today's Supreme Court ruling will affect the tens of thousands of ordinary Ingush residents who follow this religious brotherhood, or what legal consequences it will entail for them.
