The US State Department said today that the decision of the Russian Supreme Court to stop the activities of Jehovah’s Witnesses in Russia is a disturbing act of persecution of religious minorities in the country and called for the ban to be repealed and the right to freedom respected of thought, conscience, religion and beliefs.

“We call on the Russian authorities to lift the ban on the activities of Jehovah’s Witnesses in Russia, reverse the decision to close the Administrative Center of Jehovah’s Witnesses, and release all members of religious minorities who continue to be unjustly held in detention for the so-called extremist activities”, says the statement, reports KosovaPress.