GORNO-ALTAISK, November 14 - RAPSI. The head of a local branch of Jehovah's Witnesses who was earlier found guilty of religious extremism appealed his sentence with the Altai Republic Supreme Court, the court told RIA Novosti on Monday.

Jehovah's Witnesses is an international religious organization. Many representatives of traditional religions consider it to be a pseudo-Christian sect. Its management center is in St. Petersburg.

The Gorno-Altaysk City Court found Alexander Kalistratov, a local branch head of Jehovah's Witnesses, guilty of extremism on November 3 and sentenced him to 100 hours of community service. Earlier, the same court acquitted Kalistratov on April 14 after the prosecution failed to establish the crime.

The Altai Republic Supreme Court later canceled the acquittal judgment upon the request of the prosecutor's office and remanded the case for reconsideration to the same court.

The second trial commenced on June 22. The investigators opened a case against Kalistratov after he published and distributed 48 religious articles of a "strong extremist nature" aimed at discrediting other religions.

The state prosecutor earlier told RIA Novosti that he sees no grounds for the appeal.