Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation

Article 282.2 punishes organizing (Part 1: six to ten years) or participating in (Part 2: two to six years) the activity of an organization a court has liquidated or banned as extremist. Like its terrorism counterpart, Article 205.5, it converts a membership or an association into a crime without any act of violence: the designation of the organization is the evidence.

Two designations account for most documented cases. In April 2017 the Supreme Court banned the Jehovah's Witnesses' administrative centre and its congregations; since then hundreds of believers have been prosecuted for prayer meetings, Bible study over video calls, and keeping religious literature, with sentences of up to eight years. In June 2021 a Moscow court designated Alexei Navalny's Anti-Corruption Foundation and regional headquarters as extremist, and former staff, donors and volunteers have been charged for work that was lawful when they did it. Other banned movements appear in smaller numbers.