Russia has banned the “international LGBT movement” it says is an extremist group, cementing a long crackdown on the community for promoting the Kremlin’s ultra-conservative social values, reports RTE.
The conservative turn promoted by President Vladimir Putin has accelerated since the invasion of Ukraine, often portrayed as an existential struggle against Western liberal values.
The Supreme Court issued a ruling in Moscow on Thursday, AFP reporters at the court reported.
It did not say whether the ruling would affect specific individuals or organizations, reports RTE.
The judge ruled that “the international LGBT public movement and its subdivisions” were extremist, and issued a “ban on its activities on the territory of Russia”, reports RTE.
The hearing was held behind closed doors and without the defence present.
The judge said the order should be implemented immediately, although some human rights NGOs said there would be bureaucratic delays.
“It’s causing a huge panic, because it’s completely unclear who will be prosecuted under this ban,” Noel Shaida, the head of communication at LGBTQ rights NGO Sphere Foundation, told AFP, reports RTE.
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