The Russian anti-extremist laws were written in an intelligent manner. These laws have gradually become more restrictive and capable of being abused by law enforcement (aka Putin's thugs) and the court system. But they are not just affecting the Dubs. Mormons, Muslims, Evangelical Protestants, Scientologists, Adventists and even the Salvation Army have all been impacted by it.
The original law, circa 2002, stipulated that a religion could not espouse or teach its superiority over others. Vlad and his Impalers smartly understood that this one simple issue was behind so much of the world's historical and current strife and bloodshed.
Two of the law's provisions defined religious extremism as promoting the "exclusivity, superiority, or lack of equal worth of an individual" and "incitement of religious discord" in connection with acts or threats of violence. Later laws broadened the threat beyond acts or threats of violence, making this part: "exclusivity, superiority, or lack of equal work of an individual" and "incitement of religious discord' the primary focal points. The dubs were immediately in trouble and once again slow to modify their teachings, beliefs and literature. The dubs were immediately in the crosshairs due to the fact that their reason for existence is to teach and preach that they alone are the only true religion and the only one being used by god, Daddy's Lil' Monster and the only one that will survive the upcoming Big A.
It's not smart to eff with Vlad the Impaler. He has been known to murder his opponents.
The local law enforcement entities and the courts deemed any literature with extremist views as being in violation of the law. Every dub publication in their entire history espouses their singularity, superiority and casts governments, other religions and everyone else not a dub as being under Satan's control and worthy of destruction. How can any sentient person NOT believe this is extremist literature and these are extremist teachings? The difference here is that Russia made a very good law against these teachings and they are using increasingly thuggish tactics to enforce it.
It appears obvious that local law enforcement (aka Putin's KGB thugs) have planted 'evidence' against them. As I've said before, the manner in which the legal and judicial system reacts does not counter the fact that the original laws were very good indeed. Is the ROC behind this? Duh. Is Putin acting all KGBish. Of course.
It gets better. 2016 changes to the law make it illegal to proselytize outside of the officially sanctioned church building. No more home book studies. No more carts. No more knocking on doors on Saturday mornings to annoy people.
It gets better. The NWT has been determined to be extremist literature by some courts due to their use of the name Jehovah where it really can't be supported, the removal of the word 'cross', replacing it with stake - and where it really can't be supported. There are other NWT verbiage renderings that meet the same set of criteria for being extremist. For example, the Gideon bibles were recently deemed to be ok, and a Russian law in the '90s established the bible and koran, and religions such as x-tianity, buddhism, judaism, and islam as being part of the Russian heritage.
It gets better. Several of the Russian court cases the dubs lost have revolved around issues we despise and which should be banned from the planet, such as banning blood transfusions and disfellowshipping.
Don't cry for Brooklyn. Or Mordor, where the vile old men are heading soon to hide, lick their wounds and conspire while they control what they can - the rank and file through the wraiths (BOE) they send forth to do their evil bidding.
