MOSCOW, May 2 - RAPSI. Dagir Khasavov, a lawyer whose televised statements on the need to legalize Sharia law in Russia have evoked a wide response, is presently abroad and preparing to file a defamation lawsuit against the REN TV channel, his son told the Russian Legal Information Agency (RAPSI/rapsinews.com).

“My father is preparing a lawsuit against the TV channel to broadcast the complete version of his interview – not merely clips that unfavorably present his statements to the public,” his son said. “The statement of claim will be brought to the court in mid-May.”

Moral damages will be sought in the symbolic amount of one ruble ($0.034), he added. He has declined to say where his father is currently located.

Prosecutors found signs of extremism in statements made by the Muslim lawyer. His interview was seen as propaganda in favor of a people's superiority based on religious beliefs.

The Prosecutor General's Office also informed the Justice Ministry that the statements may constitute a breach of advocacy law and the code of conduct.
Khasavov could be deprived of his lawyer's license due to the violations.

The legal system as established by the Constitution and federal law allows for the administration of justice by constitutional, civil, criminal, administrative, arbitration and judicial bodies, but not by religious courts.

The Sharia court advocated by Khasavov is the basic body of justice in a Muslim state. Its judge – a “cadi” or “kadee” – solely administers justice based on the laws set forth in the Koran.