The Moscow Magistrate's Court has fined Damir Mukhetdinov, First Deputy Chairman of the Spiritual Directorate of Muslims of the Russian Federation. According to the court, the fine was for violating Part 2 of Article 5.26 of the Code of Administrative Offenses, which involved displaying images containing religious symbols in his office. Experts appointed by the prosecution believe that these paintings express disrespect for Orthodox symbols and promote the superiority of one faith over another.

The paintings "Feast of the Mongol Conquerors" and "The Capture of Prince Vasily II the Dark," which were in Mukhetdinov's office, were the basis for the fine. Photographs of these works were published on the Spiritual Directorate of Muslims of the Russian Federation website in a report on the June 3, 2024, meeting. Predictably, the well-known religious scholar and radical Islamophobe Silantyev, one of the ideologists of anti-Muslim rhetoric in Russia, drew attention to the images. He declared the need to "destroy 700,000 Muslims" to eliminate the "threat of Islamization" of Russia, which, in his view, is posed by Islamic communities, migrants, and Muslim organizations.

One of the paintings illustrates the capture of Prince Vasily the Dark by Kazan Tatars in 1445. The second depicts the feast of Genghis Khan's generals after their victory over the Russo-Polovtsian army on the Kalka River in 1223.

An expert assessment by Moscow State Linguistic University concluded that the paintings "may contribute to the formation of negative attitudes toward representatives of groups united by national or religious affiliation." The court ruling stated that the images demonstrate "the superiority of one group of individuals over another group based on religious affiliation," as the defeated Russian Orthodox side is depicted through bodies, abandoned shields, and banners in the affected area.

The Sova Human Rights Center considers the fine issued to Mukhetdinov under Article 5.26 of the Code of Administrative Offenses to be unlawful. According to the human rights activists, the mere display of images with religious symbols does not constitute desecration of religious objects, as it does not involve any active handling of them. They also note the lack of a clear definition of "desecration" in legislation.

At the same time, an administrative case was initiated against Damir Mukhetdinov under Article 20.3.1 of the Code of Administrative Offenses (incitement of hatred and enmity, as well as humiliation of human dignity), presumably related to the same images. The case hearing is scheduled for June 11.

In the second half of May, a wave of arrests of muftis and Muslim religious and public figures by security forces swept across various regions of Russia.
Some observers consider these persecutions "a struggle by security forces against the Spiritual Administration of Muslims of Russia and personally against its leader, Mufti Ravil Gainutdin," writes Meduza.