The Russian Orthodox Church, though its influence is thin in some parts of Siberia and southern Russia, where there has been a "remarkable revival of pre-Christian religion", acts as the "de facto" if not "de jure" privileged religion of the state, claiming the right to decide which other religions or denominations are to be granted the right of registration. Some Protestant churches which were already in existence before the Russian Revolution have been unable to re-register, and the Catholic Church has been forbidden to develop its own territorial jurisdictions. According to some Western observers, respect for freedom of religion by Russian authorities has declined since the late 1990s and early 2000s. Activities of the Jehovah's Witnesses are currently banned in Russia.