Muslim prisoners in the Orenburg colony banned from celebrating Eid al-Fitr for complaints against the administration
An attempt to celebrate one of the main holidays in Islam, Eid al-Adha Bairam, by Muslim prisoners in colony No. 9 in the Orenburg region, turned into the closure of prayer rooms. This is a violation of the right to fulfill religious precepts. Such an order was given by the head of the colony as revenge for complaints about the conditions of detention, according to the Civic Assistance Committee.
The prayer room in the colony was closed on March 21, the day before the start of Ramadan. Because of this, Muslims were unable to perform prayers. Three weeks later, it was secretly opened, limiting opening hours to two hours a day. This is not enough - believers must pray at least five times a day and not according to the schedule established by the administration of the colony. Over the past three years, the administration has not banned the holiday.
According to Oyub Titiev, coordinator of the Civic Assistance program for prisoners native to the North Caucasus, a separate room for Muslim prayer is necessary because it is difficult to keep a clean place in the bedroom. Namaz should be performed only in a clean place and on a clean rug.
