Pro-Kremlin youth group protests Mormon missionaries

Doug Stanglin, USA TODAY | USATODAY

The youth wing of the ruling United Russia party's held a protest on Thursday calling for a ban on Mormon missionaries in Russia, charging that they were potential American spies.

"This is an American sect," said Ekaterina Stenyakina, co-chair of Young Guard's coordinating committee, the RIA Novosti news agency reported. "They are funded by the United States of America, and it's been proven that many young Mormons return to the U.S. to work for the CIA and FBI."

The group chanted slogans outside the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints' Russian headquarters in Moscow and hoisted signs reading "No, to foreign agents!" and "Foo, CIA!" the news agency reported.

Some Young Guard members held up a makeshift one-way plane ticket reading "back to Washington" for Mormon missionaries.

Similar protests were also scheduled outside Mormon missions in St. Petersburg, Samara, Novosibirsk, and Vladivostok, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty reported.

The protest followed remarks in recent weeks by President Vladimir Putin condemning alleged foreign influence in domestic affairs and calling for an end to the presence of non-governmental organizations with foreign links that promote democracy and civil society.

On Wednesday, the Federation Council, Russia's upper house, passed a bill that broadens the definition of treason to potentially include NGOs that provide consulting services for foreign governments or organizations.

Last month, the Kremlin ordered the United States Agency for International Development to end all operations in Russia. The organization had funded many Russian civil society organizations for two decades.

A statement on the website of the Youth Guard, the pro-Kremlin group, noted that Putin has called for the need "to confront totalitarian sects operating in the territory of Russia."

"In this regard, the Young Guard as a social organization intends to attract the attention of questionable activities of totalitarian sects operating in Russia, in particular, the sect of the Mormons," the statement said.

Stenyakina, the co-chair of the Young Guard, warned Russia's youth that they could be easily wooed by the free English lessons and community service that the Mormon missionaries provide.

Elena Nechiporova, director for the Mormon Church's East Europe area's public affairs department, told RIA Novosti that the allegations that the Mormon missionaries are foreign agents is baseless.

"It is somebody's opinion without any facts, without any legal investigation, without court decisions," she said, adding that "preaching the gospel is our main goal."

The Mormon Church currently has about 14.4 million members and 58,000 full-time missionaries around the world, according to Church figures, Reuters reports.

Most of the missionaries are men aged 19 to 25 who frequently wear white shirts, black identification badges and frequently travel by bicycle. Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney was a Mormon missionary in France for three years as a young man.

Last month the Church lowered the age for potential missionaries to 18 for men and 19 for women.

RFE/RL noted that the LDS opened its first official diocese or "stake" in Moscow in June 2011 and said there are believed to be 20,000 Mormons practicing in Russia..