Russia to seize assets of international 'Satanists'

Russia on Friday added what it termed the "international Satanism movement" to a financial blacklist, enabling it to freeze the assets of alleged members even if they have no criminal record.

Moscow has put several non-existent organisations on the black list of "terrorists and extremists" in recent years, including the "international LGBT movement" and the "anti-Russian separatist movement".

As such groups are vaguely defined under Russian law, prosecutors can accuse anyone of being a member, giving Moscow a free hand to pursue political opponents, according to critics.

Russia's Supreme Court declared the "international Satanism movement" extremist in July, after prosecutors accused its members of desecrating Orthodox Christian churches and spreading "hatred".

"The movement is closely linked to manifestations of radical nationalism and neo-Nazism," Russia's prosecutor general said in a statement in July.

Patriarch Kirill, the influential head of the Russian Orthodox Church, voiced support for the ban in January, accusing Satanists of conducting malign "rituals" and recruiting young people.

"Think about it... Our soldiers are ready to give their lives for values that are clearly being trampled upon by Satanists," he said at a ceremony at the Kremlin.

Rosfinmonitoring, the Russian federal agency that maintains the financial blacklist of "terrorists and extremists", added the "international Satanism movement" to its list on Friday, its website showed.

Satanism refers to any ideology or religion that venerates Satan, a supernatural entity in Abrahamic religions who embodies evil.

It is not known how many people adhere to Satanism worldwide or in Russia.