By Courtney Tanner | The Salt Lake Tribune | Photo by Trent Nelson | The Salt Lake Tribune

The Russian government is apparently not a fan of Brigham Young University.

At the end of April, Russia surprisingly placed the religious Utah school on its official list of “undesirable” organizations — the label the country gives to groups that it considers a threat. Entities on the list are banned from operating in Russia and anyone affiliated with them can be criminally charged and imprisoned.

The addition of BYU to Russia’s list was first reported by The Moscow Times, an online publication known for its English coverage of the country that started in 1992 after the collapse of the Soviet Union. (The newspaper got a label from the country, too, of “foreign agent,” as well as being on the “undesirable” list, and now operates outside of Russia.)

Led by President Vladimir Putin, Russian leaders have targeted any people or organizations it views as critical of the government, including news outlets, human rights groups and political associations.

The list from the Ministry of Justice of Russia does not indicate an official reason as to why BYU, which is sponsored by the Utah-based Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, was added.

But it lists a date of “publication of information on recognition of the organization’s activities as undesirable” for the school as Feb. 6.

That same day, BYU held an event at its David M. Kennedy Center for International Studies called “Russia as a Global Threat.” It was a discussion led by Sonata Coulter, the U.S. deputy assistant secretary of state who oversees policy toward Russia.

Read more at SLTrib.com.

This article is published through the Utah News Collaborative, a partnership of news organizations in Utah that aims to inform readers across the state.