NIZHNY NOVGOROD. Feb 20 (Interfax) - The police have put an end to the activity of Jehovah's Witnesses, a religious organization outlawed in Russia, in Russia's internal republic of Mordovia, the local interior ministry's website said on Monday.
According to the police, the cell was operating in Mordovia since 2017. Its members knew that the organization was branded extremist but "continued the ideological activity and propaganda and actively recruited new members," the website said.
"Meetings of the members, where prohibited materials were studied, were organized online," it said.
Ten residences were searched within the framework of a criminal case on counts of organizing the activity of an extremist organization. Police officers seized notebooks, textbooks, books, audio and video cassettes with religious content, propaganda brochures and a number of electronic devices.
"Three organizers were detained and arrested," the ministry said.
The Russian Supreme Court upheld the Russian Justice Ministry's motion in April 2017, branding the Russian branch of Jehovah's Witnesses as an extremist organization and banning its activity in Russia.