Russia’s justice ministry said Thursday that it has added Jehovah’s Witnesses to its black list, formalising a ban for the Christian movement over alleged “extremist activities.”

In a statement, the ministry said that the decision “had entered legal force” to ban the activities of the central organisation of the Jehovah’s Witnesses in Russia and also all 395 local offices.

The evangelical movement also appeared in the ministry’s online register of banned organisations.

The Jehovah’s Witnesses have fought a long legal battle against the ban, culminating in a Russian Supreme Court ruling in July to reject an appeal.

In April, the Supreme Court issued a ruling banning the Christian group and seizing its property.

That decision came after the justice ministry said it had found signs of “extremist activity” within the religious movement and requested that it be banned.

Members of the Jehovah’s Witnesses — a Christian evangelical movement that was born in the United States in the 19th century — consider modern churches to have deviated from the Bible’s true teachings. They reject modern evolutionary theory and refuse blood transfusions.

Washington last month called the ruling against the group “the latest in a disturbing trend of persecution of religious minorities in Russia.”

There are more than eight million Jehovah’s Witnesses worldwide, with some countries classifying the group as a sect.

Its members are known for preaching on doorsteps, where they offer religious literature and attempt to convert people.

In 2004 Russia dissolved the Moscow branch of the Jehovah’s Witnesses. The European Court of Human Rights ruled in 2010 that the move had violated the right to freedom of religion and association.

AFP

http://punchng.com/russian-ban-on-jehovahs-witnesses-comes-into-force/

701ecilana right now:

You no get sense o. Why will i celebrate this? How are JW a problem in Russia? Atheists and Moslems are there without receiving a ban, why JW? If they refuse blood how does that affect the next person? Moslems are bombing people everywhere, shouldn't they be banned?

What about homos?

Herrarahia.

701ecilana:
You no get sense o. Why will i celebrate this? How are JW a problem in Russia? Atheists and Moslems are there without receiving a ban, why JW? If they refuse blood how does that affect the next person? Moslems are bombing people everywhere, shouldn't they be banned?

What about homos?

Herrarahia.

You just have to mention Muslims .JW's are the one's who were banned and not xtians or xtianity.You Morõn.

tartar9:

You just have to mention Muslims .JW's are the one's who were banned and not xtians or xtianity.You Morõn.

See? This is the societal menace i talked about. Why will you ban Peace loving gentle going JW and leave these routs to roam free? Put before before this tag and watch him cut my neck for just calling him a Moslem.

tartar9:

You just have to mention Muslims .JW's are the one's who were banned and not xtians or xtianity.You Morõn.

https://www.nairaland.com/3992671/tithing-truth-history-origin-catholic

Know the truth about you claim to believe