"The ruling paves the way for the group's members to be criminally prosecuted as a threat to the nation, since Russia's criminal code equates extremism with terrorism."
"The Russian LGBT Network - which formed in 2006 and has at least 17 chapters around the country - is best known for successfully rescuing gay people from Chechnya amid the semi-autonomous region's years-long campaign of arrest, imprisonment, torture, and 'honor killings.'"
"'We don't know why we have been declared a 'foreign agent,' the group said in a statement, vowing to fight the designation. 'We are not involved in political activities, we offer legal and psychological aid [and] defend the rights of the LGBT+ community.'"
A St. Petersburg court ruled to classify the Russian LGBT Network as an 'extremist' organization, allowing for criminal prosecution of its members. This ruling follows a series of legal actions against LGBTQ+ groups in Russia. The Russian LGBT Network, established in 2006, is known for rescuing gay individuals from Chechnya's violent anti-LGBTQ+ campaign. The government previously labeled the group and its lawyer as 'foreign agents,' claiming foreign funding aimed at undermining the state. Despite previous closures, the organization resumed operations in early 2023.
Read at LGBTQ Nation
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]