Members of the 'Jewish Taliban' Lev Tahor spotted in Bosnia
Members of the Jewish extremist haredi cult Lev Tahor have
allegedly been spotted in Bosnia and Herzegovina, having seemingly moved to the
Balkan country before the end of 2021, Bosnian news outlets reported.
According to the Bosnian Service for Foreigner's Affairs, as
cited by Bosnian outlet Klix.ba, there are 37 foreign nationals that seem to
fit the profile of Lev Tahor members that currently live in country.
Specifically, they seem to be living on the property of Savo
Vulića, a politician who is a member of the National Assembly of the Republic
of Srpska, one of the two entities inside of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Many residents told Bosnian media that they were concerned
about the presence of who they claim are the Lev Tahor members in the area. The
sect, known by many as the Jewish Taliban, is an extremist branch of
ultra-Orthodox Judaism that has engaged in many controversial practices. Its
members are forced to live highly regimented and isolated lives away from
secular society, sometimes without access to modern medicine and healthcare.
The sect has also faced numerous accusations of child abduction, rape, child
abuse and underage marriages.
The cult was known to have been based in Guatemala, though
it was originally based in the US and Canada, and it has recently made efforts
to emigrate elsewhere, specifically to Iran. However, now they can be found in
Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Local residents claim to have recognized these Jews as
members of Lev Tahor after seeing specific individuals who had been
photographed in November 2021 at Istanbul Airport and identified in media
reports as members of the sect, according to outlet Katera News.
According to the Service for Foreigners' Affairs, the group
is staying in the country with the right to a visa-free stay, which can last
three months. However, some locals fear the group may try to claim political
asylum, according to local media reports.
In addition, aside from not properly reporting their
residence, no crimes were reportedly committed by the group during their stay.
Local mayor Marinko Božović contacted the Service for
Foreigners' Affairs and the Srpka Interior Ministry regarding the issue,
Bosnian media reported.
Reports indicated that Vulić said the alleged members of the
sect would leave by mid-February.
Despite the allegations that these individuals are members
of Lev Tahor, the East Sarajevo Police Department stated that they have no
information that this is the case, according to local outlet Kurir.rs.
While it is unconfirmed if these individuals are indeed
members of Lev Tahor, it would follow their recent trajectory. Since 2018, the
group has tried to gain political asylum in Iran, but has faced difficulties in
reaching there.
In November 2021, a group of Lev Tahor members were
intercepted by Iraqi officials in the Kurdistan Region as they attempted to
make their way to Iran and were deported to Turkey, which is where the
photograph of the members was taken. After that, the members of the sect
reportedly traveled to the nearby Balkan state of Romania.
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