Court Closes Chapter of Salvation Army Church

A Moscow court shut down the Russian capital’s chapter of the Salvation Army, to the dismay of the British-based church that runs soup kitchens for the poor.

The city charged that the church had failed to re-register on time or prove its continued existence, as required under a law on religious organizations.

A source at the church said the Salvation Army would appeal the decision.

Russian authorities in the past have accused the religious group, which uses military-style uniforms and ranks, of being a paramilitary organization bent on toppling the government.