In a major ruling, Russia's Supreme Court declared the international LGBT movement an “extremist organization” and issued a ban on its activities on Russian soil, Al Jazeera reported.
The court's ruling stated that “the international LGBT public movement and its subsections” were extremist, and issued a “ban on its activities on the territory of Russia.”
The move is the most drastic step in the decade-long crackdown on LGBTQ rights in Russia, unleashed under President Vladimir Putin, who has made “traditional family values” the cornerstone of his rule, according to Al Jazeera.
The judge said the order would take effect immediately, but did not specify whether specific individuals or organizations would be affected.
The hearing took place behind closed doors and without any defense, Russian media reported ahead of the verdict. Reporters were allowed inside to hear the decision.
Gay and transgender representatives fear Thursday's order will lead to arrests and prosecutions, Al Jazeera reports.
“One day it will be over, but for now we have to try to stay alive and save ourselves,” the Feminist Anti-War Resistance, which is critical of Russia's war in Ukraine, said on social media in response to the ruling.
Other NGOs, including transgender rights group 'Center T', said they would publish safety guidelines for members of the LGBTQ community.
Yan Dvorkin, the organization's director, who fled Russia over security concerns, called the legal proceedings a “new low of madness.” He further said that LGBTQ people were being used as “scapegoats” by Russian authorities.
Amnesty International called the ruling 'shameful and absurd'. It also warned in a statement that the ruling could result in a blanket ban on LGBTQ organizations, violate freedoms of association, expression and peaceful assembly and lead to discrimination, Al Jazeera reported.
Notably, Moscow's crackdown on liberal-oriented groups has intensified since Russia's invasion of Ukraine last year, leaving the country's LGBTQ community increasingly facing restrictions on their rights, according to Al Jazeera.
The Kremlin has since stepped up its rhetoric about protecting “traditional values” from what it called the West's “degrading” influence.
Putin's spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters before the court ruling was announced that the Kremlin “was not following” the case and had no comment on it, Al Jazeera reported.
(Only the headline and image of this report may have been reworked by Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is automatically generated from a syndicated feed.)