The Russian Government has banned the Jehovah Witnesses in the country labeling them ‘extremists”.
The ban comes following a judgement passed by the Russia’s Supreme Court in its ruling on Thursday.
The Supreme Court in its ruling noted that the Jehovah’s Witnesses was an “extremist” organisation and following the ruling must hand over all its property to the state.
A Russian news agency, Interfax news agency the Jehovah’s Witnesses representative, Sergei Cherepanov to have said that the group will appeal the decision in the European Court of Human Rights.
He said: “We will do everything possible.”
Prior to the ban, the Russian government through its authorities have put several of the group’s publications on a list of banned extremist literature and further described the group in a bad light of destroying families, threatening lives and encouraging hatred.
The group however described the allegations as false.
The United States-based nontrinitarian Christian denomination widely known for its door-to-door preaching and rejection of military service and blood transfusions noted that the move by the government will affect 400 of its group in the country and have a general impact onv its 2,277 religious groups in Russia where it boasts of 175,000 followers.