MOSCOW, July 23. /TASS/. Russia is home to tens of thousands of Satanists, but they are not grouped into large organizations, said religious scholar Roman Silantiev, who is director of the Human Rights Center of the World Russian People's Council.
His comments followed a ruling by Russia’s Supreme Court that granted a motion from the Prosecutor General’s Office to designate the International Satanist Movement extremist and then outlawed it in the country. Silantiev led the group of experts that provided research to the court before it made the decision.
"Satanists in Russia number tens of thousands. There are no large Satanism organizations in the country. Usually satanists come in groups of fewer than 10 people, or act as individuals. This is a consequence of their misanthropy. The ban on Satanism will apply not only to the people that worship Satan proper, but also all acolytes of dark gods," he said.
According to the analyst, the movement was banned for its support of Ukraine and fundraising for the Ukrainian Armed Forces.
"It was due to this reason that the Russian Prosecutor General's Office designated the American sect the Satanic Temple as undesirable in 2024. Russian cells of Satanists were recently discovered, who planned terrorist and sabotage attacks in favor of Ukraine," Silantiev said.
He said there have been reports of a large number of ritual killings of people and animals, as well as desecration of burial sites and bodies of the dead that were committed by Satanists.
"Typical crimes of Satanists are ritual killings of people - about 300 people since 1993 - and animals, especially cats, cannibalism, rape, desecration of burial sites and bodies of the dead, and incitement to hatred on religious grounds," the analyst said.
According to Silantiev, the ban on the International Satanist Movement will not damage the domain of arts and culture, although the prohibition also applies to Satanic symbols. He said the Satanist movement has made a "minimal and very controversial contribution to culture, mainly by enriching horror movies with plot lines.".