Police charge Navalny activist with illegal ‘gay propaganda’ for sharing photos of kissing couples

Police in Krasnodar have opened a misdemeanor case against Alexey Navalny’s local campaign coordinator, charging Anastasia Panchenko with illegal “gay propaganda” for sharing two photos on Instagram showing same-sex couples kissing during protests on February 14. According to her lawyer, Mikhail Benyash, Panchenko faces a fine as high as 100,000 rubles ($1,340), if convicted. Officials say the images violate Russia’s ban on “promoting non-traditional sexual relations among minors” because Panchenko’s Instagram page is accessible to minors.

Benyash told the newspaper Novaya Gazeta that he has requested a psychological examination of the photos to determine if they constitute illegal propaganda. He says he expects the matter to go to trial.

• On February 14, supporters of the imprisoned opposition politician Alexey Navalny assembled for small flashmobs in cities across Russia, posing with their cell-phone flashlights in demonstrations organized around the theme of “love is stronger than fear.” Despite threats from law enforcement, the rallies went ahead without arrests.