GORNO-ALTAISK, November 3 - RAPSI, Yelena Kozlova. A court found a local head of Jehovah's Witnesses guilty in extremism on Thursday and sentenced him to 100 hours of community services, RIA Novosti reported.

Jehovah's Witnesses is an international religious organization. Many representatives of traditional religions consider it to be a totalitarian pseudo-Christian sect.

The Gorno-Altaysk City Court acquitted Alexander Kalistratov, a head of Altai branch of Jehovah's Witnesses, on April 14 after the prosecution failed to establish the crime.

The Supreme Court of the Altai Republic later canceled the acquittal judgment upon the request of the prosecutor's office and remanded the case for reconsideration to the same court.

The second trial started on June 22. Investigators opened a case against Kalistratov after he published and distributed 48 religious articles of "a strong extremist nature" aimed at discrediting other religions.

Prosecutors demanded 140 hours of community service to Kalistratov after he was convicted in inciting hatred and humiliating human dignity.

The prosecutors told RIA Novosti that the prosecutor's office will not appeal the judgment although Kalistratov was sentenced to only 100 hours of community service.