Russia files first felony ‘extremism’ charges in connection with Supreme Court ban of non-existent ‘LGBT movement’

On November 30, the Russian Supreme Court banned the “international LGBT movement,” which does not exist, as an “extremist organization.” At the time, lawyers and activists warned the consequences could be far-reaching and unpredictable, not just for people who identify as LGBTQ+ but also for those who support them. Now, the first “extremism” charges have been brought under the new laws. In late March, police arrested two employees of a gay bar in Orenburg for their alleged involvement with the imaginary group. They could now face up to 10 years in prison for their role in running the establishment.

On March 18, Ekaterina Mizulina, the head of the Russian censorship lobbying group Safe Internet League, announced that investigators in Orenburg had initiated the country’s first “extremism” case linked to the Supreme Court’s November decision to outlaw the non-existent “international LGBT movement” as an “extremist organization.”

Two days later, Orenburg’s Central District Court remanded two employees of Pose, a local gay bar, to pre-trial detention. In a press release, the court said the accused, as “individuals with non-traditional sexual orientation,” along with others who “also support the views and activities of the banned ‘international LGBT movement,’” were responsible for the club’s operations. While the court did not disclose the defendants’ names, local news outlet Ural56 identified them as the club’s art director, Alexander Klimov, and its administrator, Diana Kamilyanova.

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Pose, which opened in 2021, held regular drag shows and referred to itself as Orenburg’s “first themed venue.” After the adoption of laws against “LGBT propaganda,” the bar began to call itself a “parody theater bar” and a “night bar with a show.” As a precaution, the establishment’s managers removed its address from social media and online map services.

According to Mizulina, it was local “activists” who first drew attention to the bar. On March 9, the pro-Kremlin Russian Community of Orenburg (which describes itself as made up of “people who want to revive the solidarity and community of the Russian nation”) posted on social media that members of Russia’s National Guard had raided the bar with their “support.” Footage of the raid included in the post shows police forcing patrons to the floor and questioning them. A plainclothes officer is shown going on stage and speaking into the microphone: “This is a special operation of the Interior Ministry. No one talk; do not provoke anyone. Everything will be done according to the law.” The faces of patrons are not blurred in the video.

A week and a half later, the regional branch of the Interior Ministry posted a video of the raid accompanied by a statement saying that the activities of a “nightclub where representatives of a movement banned in the Russian Federation gathered” had been “suppressed.” The ministry said it had received more than 15 complaints about the club’s “illegal activities aimed at promoting LGBT propaganda.”

The charges brought against Klimov and Kamilyanova mark the first instance of prosecution for “extremism” in Russia under the new ban on the so-called “international LGBT movement.” If convicted, they could face up to 10 years in prison. After the Supreme Court’s ruling, lawyers warned that not only those who identify as LGBTQ+ but also people who simply support the queer community could be at risk. However, rights activists note that without judicial precedent, it’s difficult to say who will be subject to persecution.