Moscow, July 25, 2025
Photo: rgup.ru
The Russian Supreme Court recognized the “International Satanism Movement” as an extremist organization and banned its activities in Russia on Wednesday.
The decision went into effect immediately, but can be appealed within a month, reports RBC.
The Court’s exact reasoning is as yet unknown, as the session took place behind closed doors and the case materials haven’t been publicly disclosed. His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia previously made public calls to ban Satanism.
The Prosecutor General’s office, commenting on the decision, stated that the participants of the movement publicly call for extremism and the “destruction of churches.”
“The followers of the movement adhere to the general principles of Satanism, use common symbols and attributes, and perform occult rituals. The conceptual basis consists of publications that are recognized as extremist materials. The movement is closely associated with manifestations of radical nationalism and neo-Nazism. Along with ritual murders, participants commit other crimes, including those against minors,” the statement said.
The same judge, Oleg Nefedov, recognized the international LGBT movement as extreme and banned its activities in Russia in 2023.
The Supreme Court’s decision to recognize the international Satanism movement as extremist applies not only to formally registered organizations, but also to unregistered groups and communities, explained Igor Ivanishko, a judicial expert and religious scholar, in a conversation with RBC.
Among the specific groups to be banned is the Satanic Temple, founded in 2012, which has more than 10 million followers throughout the world. According to Ivanishko, its supporters in Russia are “quite radicalized and are under strong external influence.”
Russia’s Prosecutor General’s office designated the Satanic Temple as an undesirable organization in December 2024, citing its support for Ukrainian nationalist battalions and alleging that Russian members were involved in anti-Russian activities including arson and sabotage operations.
Other affected groups include the Temple of Set and various groups coming out of Anton Lavey’s Church of Satan.
Ivanishko explains that the ban covers groups that believe Lucifer is actually a good angel, those that acknowledge the traditional Christian worldview but consciously side with evil, and those that focus on other demons besides Satan himself.
According to the expert, marketplaces will have to withdraw products containing symbols of Satanism from sale. These include earrings with inverted crosses, medallions with a Baphomet and a pentagram, various pendants with inscriptions in Latin glorifying Satan, and more.
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