Russia Arrests Suspected Members Of Banned Islamic Group

Three suspected members of the banned Islamic organization Hizb ut-Tahrir have been arrested in the city of Chelyabinsk in Russia's Urals region.

The Federal Security Service said on October 5 that the suspects had been sent to two-month pretrial detention. If found guilty, they may face up to 10 years in jail.

Russia's Chelyabinsk region borders Kazakhstan and Russia's mainly Muslim region of Bashkortostan.

Hizb ut-Tahrir is a London-based Sunni political organization that seeks to unite all Muslim countries into an Islamic caliphate.

Russia's Supreme Court banned Hizb ut-Tahrir in 2003, branding its supporters as "extremists."

Based on reporting by TASS and Interfax