Bar managers detained in Russia for LGBT+ “extremism”

The managers of a bar in the Urals in Russia were placed in pre-trial detention for LGBT+ “extremism”, a court in the city of Orenburg announced this Wednesday.

“This is the first criminal case of this type in Russia after the Supreme Court’s decision to classify the LGBT movement as extremist,” said Ekaterina Mizoulina, an activist for the defense of “traditional values” advocated by President Vladimir Putin.

Non-traditional sexual relations

At the end of a closed-door hearing, the Orenburg court decided “on the incarceration of the two accused persons”, the Orenburg court which was judging the case indicated on Telegram.

It specified that the artistic director and the administrator of the “Pose” bar will remain in detention at least “until May 18, 2024”. Pre-trial detention is usually systematically extended in Russia until the trial verdict.

According to the prosecution, “during the investigation it was established that the defendants, people with non-traditional sexual orientation, (…) also support the views and activities of the banned international LGBT public association in our country”. The two defendants face a sentence of up to ten years in prison, according to authorities.

Since 2013, a law in Russia has prohibited the “propaganda” of “non-traditional sexual relations” aimed at minors. In the wake of a general turn of the screw in society after the Russian assault on Ukraine, this legislation was considerably expanded at the end of 2022 to prohibit any form of LGBT+ “propaganda” in the media, on the Internet, in books and the movies

Then in November 2023, the Russian Supreme Court banned the “international LGBT movement”, opening the door to heavy prison sentences.

In recent weeks, several Russians have been fined for, for example, posting photos featuring rainbow flags online or, in the case of two women, for posting a video of their kiss online.