Russian court bans Jehovah's Witnesses, labelled it an "extremist" group

Russia's Supreme Court on Thursday ruled that the Jehovah's Witnesses, a Christian-based denomination, an "extremist" organisation, banning the group from operating in Russian and putting the group's more than 170,000 Russian worshipers in the same category as Islamic State militants.


The ruling, which confirmed an order by the justice ministry last month requested that the group's national headquarters near St Petersburg be shut down and the group be labeled "extremist" and have their operation dissolved.

The Russian government on March 16 filed a lawsuit to outlaw the Jehovah's Witnesses with its headquarters near St. Petersburg already have been placed on the list of extremist groups.

Jehovah's witness headquarters near St. Petersburg

Russian authorities have put several of the group's publications and website on a list of banned extremist literature, and prosecutors have long cast it as an organisation that destroys families, fosters hatred and threatens lives, a description the organisation says is false.