MOSCOW, December 16 (RAPSI) – An alleged warden of a banned Jehovah’s Witnesses cell in the town of Chekhov near Moscow, faces trial, RAPSI has learnt in the press service of the Moscow Region’s directorate of the Investigative Committee.

Investigation into the cell is completed. According to investigators, the alleged warden and other group members knew that the organization had been banned as extremist but held and took part in the gatherings and propaganda of its activities.

Extremism charges are brought against them.

One of the accused is put on the federal wanted list; his case was severed from the others. A case against another one defendant is also separated as he committed the crime being insane. He was ordered to compulsory treatment, the statement reads.

In April 2017, the Supreme Court of Russia ordered liquidation of the Jehovah's Witnesses managing organization and all its 395 local branches. In August, the Administrative Centre of Jehovah's Witnesses was added to the list of banned extremist organizations.

Jehovah’s Witnesses religious organization has had many legal problems in Russia. Since 2009, 95 materials distributed by the organization in the country have been declared extremist and 8 Jehovah's Witnesses’ branches have been liquidated, according to the Justice Ministry.

Jehovah's Witnesses is an international religious organization based in Brooklyn, New York. Since 2004 several branches and chapters of the organization were banned and shut down in various regions of Russia.