A place completely isolated to the outside world, this is the underground compound of the radical Islamic sect in Kazan, Russia that was raided last week.

The 70 inhabitants follow a reclusive spiritual leader, Faizrakhman Satarov, who calls himself a prophet and says God speaks to him in his sleep.

Now for the first time one of the group's members has spoken to the press about the living conditions of the site. Shamil Ibragimov, 29, told Reuters he had been with the group for over a decade.

"Every family had a separate room. There was a bathroom on every floor, a sink, tiles, a gas tank."

Two weeks ago police raided the bunker and freed 27 children whom authorities stated had been kept underground and had 'no contact with the outside world'. Ibragimov said that the despite government plans to demolish the site, the group wanted to keep their independence.

"Even if they (the authorities) have some sort of demands, for example that there isn't enough space, then let them give us the space, the apartments. Let them give it to us, so we can live in peace."

The raid on the compound, that has declared itself an independent Islamist state, comes after increasing tensions in the Tatarstan region. Mainstream media had ignored the community, until regional Islamic scholar Ildus Faizov was wounded in a car bomb attack on July 19, and his deputy shot later that day, prompting an investigation into radical Islamist groups.

I'm Alfred Joyner, for the latest news headlines, go to our website, IB Times.co.uk

Written and presented by Alfred Joyner