Kazan religious sect kept children and adults underground
Under the home the 83 year-old self-proclaimed prophet Faizrakhman Sattarov, police found 27 children and 38 adults living in underground cells in the Russian region of Tatarstan, according to the BBC.
Law enforcement discovered the unsanitary catacomb-like cells in an Aug. 1 raid of the compound, according to RIA Novosti new website.
Russian children's rights ombudsman Pavel Astakhov told RIA Novosti that sect members must undergo "special treatment" before they will be allowed to see their children.
“Unfortunately the victims of the sect will need professional rehabilitation over a fairly long period,” Astakhov said, adding that the youngest members of the sect have been relocated to orphanages.
4 members of the Muslim sect are accused of cruelty against children.
According to the BBC, Sattarov is charged with "arbitrariness," defined as "unauthorized commission of actions contrary to the order presented by a law or any other normative legal act."
Sattarov declared himself a prophet in the mid-60s and founded the sect in the 70s, the BBC reported.
The Oslo Times says said Sattarov is bedridden and delirious.
The article you just read is free because dedicated readers and listeners like you chose to support our nonprofit newsroom. Our team works tirelessly to ensure you hear the latest in international, human-centered reporting every weekday. But our work would not be possible without you. We need your help.
Make a gift today to help us reach our $25,000 goal and keep The World going strong. Every gift will get us one step closer.