By RFE/RL's North Caucasus Service

A court in Russia's North Caucasus region of Kabardino-Balkaria acquitted a Jehovah's Witness in an extremism case, a rare move by a judiciary that has sentenced dozens of the religion's believers in similar cases.

The Maisky district court found Kirill Gushchin not guilty on May 2, but did not give the reasoning behind its decision.

Prosecutors sought a seven-year prison term. Since the faith was outlawed in Russia in 2017, many Jehovah's Witnesses have had cases launched against them, with most sentenced to prison.

For decades, Jehovah's Witnesses have been viewed with suspicion in Russia, where the dominant Orthodox Church is championed by President Vladimir Putin.