MOSCOW, March 1 (RAPSI) – Seven individuals have been arrested in the Republic of Bashkortostan (Bashkiria) on suspicion of recruiting new members into Hizb ut-Tahrir terrorist organization banned in Russia, RIA Novosti reported Wednesday.

According to the Federal Security Service (FSB), seven residents of the city of Ufa involved people in the terrorist activity, spread ideas of establishing Islamic Khilafat and attempted to sow discord within Bashkiria’s Muslim community. An alleged leader of the local branch of Hizb ut-Tahrir was among the arrested persons.

The FSB officers have seized prohibited extremist literature during searches conducted in the suspects’ apartments. Agitational and propaganda materials used for recruiting and training new Hizb ut-Tahrir members were found in their computers.

Investigation is underway. Suspects have been charged with committing crimes connected with participation in activities of a terrorist organization and put in detention.

Hizb ut-Tahrir (the Party of Islamic Liberation), founded in Jerusalem in 1953, is banned in several Arab and Central Asian countries. Russia's Supreme Court banned the group from operating on the territory of the country in 2003, describing it as a terrorist organization.

Hizb ut-Tahrir members are regularly arrested by the police across Russia, mainly in big cities in central Russia, the Volga region and Siberia.