Forcing a teenager to repent in Kabardino-Balkaria outraged social media users

By publishing on the Internet the face of a teenager who recorded a video with derogatory statements about the Koran, the Spiritual Administration of Muslims of Kabardino-Balkaria violated the teenager’s right to privacy of his personal life, residents of the republic wrote on social networks.

The “Caucasian Knot” has reported that Khazrataly Dzasezhev, the chair of the Spiritual Administration (SAM) of Muslims of Kabardino-Balkaria, talked to the teenager who recorded a video with derogatory statements about the Koran. After the conversation, the teenager apologized for his wrongdoing.

“I do not justify the actions of those teenagers. For what reason and by what right, in violation of all laws, is this boy’s face shown on the Internet? If I were the parents of the child, I would sue them,” wrote Instagram* user bosh2748.

“Why don’t you show the faces of those pseudo-Muslims who sell drugs, kill their wives and children, abuse children, the faces of terrorists ... And in general, what do the authorities have to do with religion? It would be better for them to take care of their direct responsibilities, i.e., individuals hiding behind Islam and engage in direct violations of laws,” a social network user noted.

“It’s shocking! They don’t show the faces of criminals, thieves, murderers, etc. But here they show the face of a child who made a mistake,” user art___video expressed a similar opinion in his comment.

*On March 21, 2022, the Tverskoi Court of Moscow banned the activities in Russia of the Meta Company, owning the Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp, in connection with extremist activities.