A Russian human rights group has raised concerns about the country's official list of extremist literature, which appears to be growing rapidly, RFE/RL's Tatar-Bashkir Service reports.
The list is maintained by Russia's Justice Ministry and includes printed works that are perceived as extremist by local courts.
The SOVA Center for information and analysis, a non-governmental organization that monitors cases of xenophobia and attacks on non-Russians, issued a report on March 24 stating that the number of banned publications nearly quadrupled in 2008, from 79 to 301.
The report warns that poorly informed authorities and pressure from law-enforcement bodies are the main factors behind expansion of the list.
The chairman of Russia's Council of Muftis, Rawil Gainutdin, recently offered to create a special council of experts to provide guidance at a federal level to avoid unjustified bans on religious literature, and Islamic literature in particular.
The list is maintained by Russia's Justice Ministry and includes printed works that are perceived as extremist by local courts.
The SOVA Center for information and analysis, a non-governmental organization that monitors cases of xenophobia and attacks on non-Russians, issued a report on March 24 stating that the number of banned publications nearly quadrupled in 2008, from 79 to 301.
The report warns that poorly informed authorities and pressure from law-enforcement bodies are the main factors behind expansion of the list.
The chairman of Russia's Council of Muftis, Rawil Gainutdin, recently offered to create a special council of experts to provide guidance at a federal level to avoid unjustified bans on religious literature, and Islamic literature in particular.
