MOSCOW, May 23 - RAPSI. The Moscow City Bar Association's Qualification Commission will hear on June 13 the Justice Ministry's appeal to deprive Dagir Khasavov of his status as an attorney, the commission told the Russian Legal Information Agency (RAPSI/rapsinews.com) on Wednesday.

In an interview with the Ren-TV channel on April 24, Khasavov proposed establishing a sharia court in Russia. He said Muslim society would enforce its own rules and any attempt to prevent them from doing so could lead to bloodshed. His statements incited a major public uproar.

The prosecutor's office declared that Khasavov sought to incite national hatred and to insult people of other religions. The prosecutor's office concluded that his statements could be considered an incitement of extremism. In this context, the Justice Ministry's Main Directorate in Moscow filed a petition with the Moscow City Bar Association to strip Khasavov of his lawyer's license.

Meanwhile, Khasavov maintains that the media reports are an organized campaign against him.

According to Khasavov, he did not violate the standards of attorney's ethics and believes that the professional community of attorneys will hold a thorough investigation.

He also said he plans to submit a defamation lawsuit against Ren-TV. Khasavov added that he will demand that the station show the full version of his interview as opposed to extracts, which were wrongly interpreted by the public.

The attorney assessed his moral damages at the symbolic amount of one ruble ($0.03).