Russian Court Convicts Three for Organizing Activities of Banned LGBT Movement

The Central Court in the city of Orenburg has delivered a precedent-setting verdict in Russia, concerning a case involving the organization and participation in activities of an extremist group linked to the LGBT movement.

The court's press service announced the ruling via the "Max" network, emphasizing that this is the first such judgment nationwide regarding the organization of activities by the international LGBT movement and its structural units, which have been listed as extremist and banned in Russia.

Three young men appeared before the court, holding positions as owner, director, and artistic director of the "Boz" nightclub. They committed these acts fully aware that the international LGBT movement and its structural units were designated as extremist organizations and banned within Russian territory. They exploited the nightclub's legal status to organize events aimed at continuing the activities of the prohibited organization.

According to case materials, the club openly promoted the sexual orientation of its patrons as belonging to the non-traditional category to an unspecified audience of visitors.

Following a review of the evidence, the court found all defendants guilty of the charges against them. The principal penalties imposed included prison sentences ranging from two years and three months to seven years, to be served in a general regime correctional colony. Additional sanctions restricted the defendants’ freedom for periods between eight months and one year and six months. Furthermore, the nightclub organizers were banned from engaging in any organizational, administrative, or economic activities related to entertainment, food services, and public amusement for durations spanning two to three years.

Moreover, the court ordered the nightclub owner to surrender the criminal proceeds earned from the extremist organization's activities, which exceeded one million rubles (approximately 8,500 US dollars).

The court’s press service noted that this criminal case is the first to be initiated in the Russian Federation following the disruption of activities by this extremist organization.