A Russian court on Monday, April 27th labelled the country’s leading LGBT rights organisation as “extremist,” effectively banning its activities and opening the door for possible criminal prosecution of its supporters.
The ruling was issued in St. Petersburg following a request from Russia’s justice ministry. According to the court’s press service on the messaging platform Telegram,
The public movement has been designated as an extremist organisation, and its activities are banned in Russia.
With the hearing was held behind closed doors, the decision means that any association with the group could potentially lead to criminal charges.
The move comes amid an ongoing tightening of restrictions on LGBT expression in Russia. In 2023, the Supreme Court banned the “international social LGBT movement” as extremist. Since then, authorities have intensified enforcement actions, including raids on LGBT venues and arrests of owners.
Individuals have also faced fines and short-term detention for displaying rainbow flags or related imagery.
Russian president Vladimir Putin has repeatedly framed LGBT-related issues as incompatible with the “traditional family values,” which he says should be protected from Western influence.
