Russia’s Supreme Court as on Thursday ruled that Jehovah’s Witnesses was an “extremist” organisation and must hand over all its property to the state, Russian news agencies reports.
Russian authorities have put several of the group’s publications on a list of banned extremist literature and prosecutors have long cast it as an organisation that destroys families, fosters hatred and threatens lives.
The group which is United States-based non-trinitarian Christian denomination known for its door-to-door preaching and rejection of military service and blood transfusions, says this description is false.
Russia has been most outspoken in portraying it as an extremist cult. However, Sergei Cherepanov, a Jehovah’s Witnesses representative, says the group will appeal the decision in the European Court of Human Rights. “We will do everything possible” , he said.
