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Police shut down cell of Jehovah’s Witnesses in Kherson Region

Police established that the followers held ceremonies and gatherings in the building

GENICHESK, February 8. /TASS/. Kherson Region police shut down the head office of a Jehovah’s Witnesses cell, an extremist organization that’s banned in Russia, the MVD-Media Telegram channel reported on Wednesday.

"Operatives of the Russian Interior Ministry’s office in the Kherson Region joined forces with the employees of the regional office in the town of Skadovsk shut down the head office of a local cell of Jehovah’s Witnesses organization, which is banned from operating in Russia from April 2017 by a ruling of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation," the report said.

Police established that the followers held ceremonies and gatherings in the building. Vacant room were used to store proselytizing materials and extremist literature. Police seized brochures, display structures and other objects that could be used as proof.

"A pretrial investigation is underway. It’s being considered whether a criminal case should be started with respect to constituent elements of an offense provided for in Part 1 of Article 282.2 of the Russian Penal Code ("Organization of activities of an extremist organization")," the report said.

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