The scholar abducted in Donetsk can be charged of having links with Syrian Islamists

The so called DPR militants claim that the religious scholar Igor Kozlovskyy, who was abducted in Donetsk could “destabilize the situation” in the occupied areas of Donetsk region.

This was stated by leader of “Vostok” rebel group Oleksandr Khodakovskyy, Donbass News report.

“As for Mr. Kozlovskyy, according to my information, he maintained numerous contacts with various organizations in Ukraine that are engaged in destructive activities here. Given his respectable age, perhaps he was a convenient figure to conduct certain activities,” he said.

Khodakovskyy said that Kozlovskyy communicated “with representatives of different religious faiths, including Muslims.”

“You must understand that only in Makiyivka there are some 20 thousand Muslims of conscription age. Over a year we have obtained information about attempts of penetration, say, of different preachers, who came from Syria, from other regions, who profess extremely radical views and positions on what was happening in Chechnya, what is happening in Dagestan, and our young people have already started working in this area. And it is possible that someone is using this kind of relations, this kind of work, in order to destabilize the situation in our region,” he said.

The news on the arrest of Igor Kozlovskyy, candidate of historical sciences, religious studies scholar, president of the Center for Religious Studies and International Religious Relations broke in late January. It was reported that the scientist could not leave Donetsk as he had to look after his son who was seriously ill.

Activists have created a group on Facebook to support Igor Kozlovskyy.