The Russian registration Service has shut down a women’s monastery in the Tyumen region of Siberia. The state agency said that the monastery, headed by a U.S. citizen, failed to meet the registration rules for NGOs in Russia.

The check on Ishim monastery of St. John, carried out under the recent controversial law on NGOs, has revealed that the activities of the organization did not correspond to those declared in its order, RIA Novosti reports.

The monastery has been forced to seize its actions and move to its original location — Odessa, Ukraine. Besides, local registration officials have informed the Federal Security Service and to the Prosecutor’s Office about the case.

Local branch of the Registration Service registered 9,740 NGOs in the Tyumen, Yugra and Yamal regions in 2006, plus 2,785 public associations, including 410 religious associations.

The service has had to act on violations in 609 cases.

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