Jehovah's Witnesses believe state agencies want a total ban. Rostov-on-Don Regional Court ruled 34 texts extremist on 11 September, the first court to do so.

The court ruling, seen by Forum 18, claims that the sentence "true Christians do not celebrate Christmas or other festivals based on false religious ideas" represents incitement to religious hatred, while another publication which quoted Tolstoy - described as "an opponent of Orthodoxy" - created "a negative attitude towards the Russian Orthodox Church".

The court also declared a local congregation extremist and ordered it liquidated.

The Jehovah's Witnesses have appealed to Russia's Supreme Court. Customs continue to seize their books. The public prosecutor who raided a meeting in St Petersburg alleging "extremist activity" was going on refused to talk to Forum 18, the Norwegian-based human rights monitor: "You could be some kind of spy."

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