Valiulla Yakupov

Yakupov was shot dead while walking on the Zarya Street estate in Kazan, Tatarstan, where he lived, according to a statement released by Russia's Investigative Committee.^[6][7] However, there is another report that he was killed while sitting on his porch.^[8] Shortly thereafter, the chief mufti, Ildus Faizov, was wounded in the legs after an explosive device blasted through his vehicle.^[9] A day after Yakupov's assassination, Russian police detained five people suspected to be involved in Yakupov's killing.^[10]

Russia's Council of Muftis has branded the murder of Yakupov as a terror attack.^[7] "Unfortunately, deadly attacks on religious leaders have become common," Vladimir Legoyda, the chief of the Synodal Information Department, said. Reports from the media suggest that Yakupov was an anti-extremist activist and the attack may have taken place due to his strong opposition to radicalism.^[7]

• Salafism