Russian court issues first prison sentence under ‘LGBT extremism’ law

A district court in Kemerovo Oblast has issued Russia’s first prison sentence under the country’s ban on the so-called “international LGBT movement,” independent Russian outlet Mediazona reported on Feb. 19.

The individual, who had been serving a prior prison sentence, was convicted of “LGBT extremism” and sentenced to six years in a maximum-security facility, with their total sentence adjusted to 15 years.

Authorities accused them of “involving” Russian citizens in the banned “international LGBT movement” while serving their time.

The court's ruling is the first prison sentence issued under this law, but on Jan. 29, a court in Nizhny Novgorod sentenced a woman to serve five days in administrative detention under this legislation for the crime of wearing frog-shaped earrings that displayed the image of a rainbow.

Then, on Feb. 1, a court in Volgograd Oblast found a defendant known as Artyom P. guilty after he posted a picture of an LBGT flag online and ordered him to pay a fine of 1,000 rubles ($11.05).

In November 2023, the Russian Supreme Court's decision to label the "international LGBT movement" as "extremist" has starkly intensified the challenges faced by the LGBTQ+ community in general within the country.

This ruling, emerging from a lawsuit by the Justice Ministry accusing the LGBT movement of inciting social and religious discord, has effectively jeopardized all forms of LGBTQ+ rights activism and expression in Russia.

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“Russia is increasingly waging an illegal war of aggression against Ukraine while continuing its domestic repression, persecuting those who advocate for democracy,” EU High Representative Kaja Kallas said.

The Kyiv IndependentVolodymyr Ivanyshyn