Man Detained After Pig’s Head Placed at Mosque in Russia's Adygea
Security services said the incident occurred on September 14 at the Kozet mosque in Takhtamukaysky District, Adygea, southern Russia. Surveillance footage showed a man placing the pig’s head on a fence, stepping back as if to record it on his phone, and then leaving the scene.
A 43-year-old resident of Anapa in Krasnodar Territory was later detained at his home. Police and special forces transferred him to Adygea, where he was placed in a temporary detention facility.
The Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation reported that the case is being pursued under Part 2 of Article 148 of the Criminal Code, which covers public insult to the feelings of believers.
Officials confirmed that investigators are seeking the man’s arrest while forensic examinations continue. The Committee’s statement did not specify the suspect’s motives or whether he admitted responsibility. The law provides for up to three years of imprisonment or forced labor.
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Religious scholars and experts said the choice of symbol made the act particularly provocative. Leonid Syukiyainen, professor at the Higher School of Economics, explained to the Caucasian Knot: “A pig is considered an unclean animal in Islam. The Koran strictly prohibits pork consumption, and contact with it requires ritual purification. For a Muslim believer, a pig’s head is not just an unpleasant object, but a violation of religious purity. So it is an insult and a provocation.”
He added that the pig’s head has become a “universal marker of anti-Muslim aggression” and is often used by far-right groups in Europe and extremists elsewhere.
Another Caucasus expert, who requested anonymity, echoed the view, calling it a “direct and obvious insult” against Muslims. He noted that the suspect’s act of recording the incident suggested it may have been a planned provocation.
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Local residents described the mosque as a long-standing center of worship and education. Built by the community and opened in 1996, it has served as a hub for religious practice and Arabic language teaching. Activists said that in nearly 30 years of operation, no comparable incident had occurred in Kozet.
Legal experts indicated the suspect could face additional charges. Lawyer Timur Filippov said prosecutors might also apply Article 282 of the Criminal Code, which covers incitement of hatred or enmity and carries penalties of up to six years in prison.
The investigation is ongoing.
Source: Agencies
