The Prosecutor General's Office has recognized the American church The Satanic Temple as an “undesirable organization.” The press service of the department reports this.
“The Satanic Temple actively supports participants in extremist and terrorist movements. He speaks negatively about the special military operation and calls for the overthrow of the constitutional order in Russia. The TST website contains information about fundraising for the Armed Forces of Ukraine,” the Prosecutor General’s Office said in a release.
The agency also notes that the Satanic Temple has 23 branches and over 10 million followers around the world. The organization is accused of promoting occult practices and supporting supporters of extremist movements.
- Since 2015, according to Russian legislation , foreign or international organizations that, in the opinion of the authorities, pose a “threat to the foundations of the constitutional system of the Russian Federation, the defense capability of the country or the security of the state” can be recognized as “undesirable” under Russian law. Such organizations are prohibited from operating in the country, and a number of other restrictions are also imposed on them - for example, they are not allowed to distribute information materials in Russia. The decision on recognition is made by the Prosecutor General's Office in agreement with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. More information about which organizations were included in the list can be found in the OVD-Info project “ Inoteka ”.
- For participation in the activities of an “undesirable organization,” administrative liability is provided (Article 20.33 of the Code of Administrative Offenses, the maximum penalty is a fine of up to 15 thousand rubles for citizens), and with repeated participation, criminal liability (Part 1 of Article 284.1 of the Criminal Code, the maximum penalty is imprisonment for up to four years). Article 284.1 also applies to financing or organizing the activities of an “undesirable organization”, in which case the punishment can be up to five and up to six years in prison, respectively.
- Human rights organization Amnesty International called the "undesirable organizations" law a way to "vilify independent NGOs, deprive them of funding and impose harsh penalties on their members." The law, according to human rights activists, is used “to combat dissent and stifle freedom of expression and independent civil society organizations in Russia.” The UN Human Rights Committee recommended that Russia repeal or revise legislation on “undesirable organizations.”