Brigham Young University has reportedly been placed on Russia’s list of “undesirable” organizations, barring the school from operating in the country.

The initial report from The Moscow Times said The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints’ flagship school in Provo was officially blacklisted April 29, with the designation appearing on the Justice Ministry’s website Monday without explanation.

The story said people found affiliated with an “undesirable” organization may face upward of four years in prison, with organization leaders facing up to six years.

The Daily Herald reached out to BYU for comment but did not hear back as of Thursday afternoon.

Enacted into law by Russia’s Parliament in 2015, the nation’s prosecutor general or foreign ministry may place on the list any international organization it deems a present threat to state defense, public order, health of the population or defense capabilities.

Why BYU landed on the list is unclear. One hypothesis, as first reported by The Salt Lake Tribune, was that BYU held an event called “Russia as a Global Threat” on Feb. 6 at the David M. Kennedy Center for International Studies.

At the event, the lecturer, U.S. diplomat Sonata Coulter, spoke on the Kremlin’s oppressive actions and how Russia’s strategic influence and economic coercion made the nation a threat, according to a story from the Daily Universe, BYU’s student newspaper.

Several U.S.-based organizations are on the list, including the U.S. Russia Foundation and the National Endowment for Democracy. However, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is not on the list.

The faith has 18,132 members and 56 congregations in Russia.

Church missionaries arrived in Russia in the 1990s as the Soviet Union collapsed and began proselytizing. However, in 2016, Russia’s Yarovaya Law banned proselytizing outside of church buildings, and missionaries changed their names to “volunteers.” In the wake of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022, the church withdrew all foreign missionaries from the country.

The Russian ties also extend to BYU’s campus. A starter on last year’s BYU men’s basketball team and projected NBA draft pick, Egor Demin, is from Moscow. BYU also has a Russian study abroad program; however, the program’s summer 2025 study abroad session is taking place in Riga, Latvia, according to the BYU College of Humanities website.