Russia’s Supreme Court outlawed what it termed the “International Movement of Satanists” as hostile to traditional religions on Wednesday, in the latest incarnation of the Kremlin’s sweeping crackdown on ideological dissent.
“Today, the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation granted the lawsuit filed by the Prosecutor General of the Russian Federation, Igor Krasnov, recognizing the International Movement of Satanists as extremist and banning its activities within Russia,” the Prosecutor General’s Office said in a statement.
“As established, the movement is based on extremist ideology, hatred and hostility toward traditional religious confessions,” the statement added.
Despite the official-sounding name, the “International Movement of Satanists” does not appear to exist, at least not under that moniker. Independent Russian-language news outlet Meduza, based in Latvia, wrote that the Supreme Court has previously “also banned other fictitious movements” such as the “international LGBT movement” and then “used that designation to persecute LGBTQ+ individuals and censor artistic works.”
Undeterred, the prosecutor’s office accused the Satanists of inciting violence against religious institutions and engaging in “destruction, damage and desecration of Orthodox churches,” and linked the movement to “radical nationalism and neo-Nazism.”
Russia’s Deputy Justice Minister Oleg Sviridenko said the ban was the result of coordinated efforts between law enforcement and the judiciary “within the framework of state control aimed at protecting national interests and strengthening public safety.”
The Russian Orthodox Church and conservative lawmakers have called for years for Satanist ideology to be outlawed. In April Russia’s lower house of parliament, the State Duma, hosted a roundtable on combating Satanism and other beliefs considered a threat to Russian statehood.
The ruling adds to a growing list of ideological and religious movements targeted under Russia’s 2002 extremism law, a tool critics argue has often been used to stifle criticism of the Russian Orthodox Church and Kremlin policies.
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