Statement from the Council of the HRDC Memoria regarding the Ministry of Justice's lawsuit to declare the LGBT movement as an extremist organization

On November 17, 2023, it became known that the Ministry of Justice filed a lawsuit with the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation to declare the "International Public Movement of LGBT " as an extremist organization. The court hearing is scheduled for November 30.

This case combines the worst of practices created and developed by the Russian authorities in recent years.

There is no legally established "International Public Movement of LGBT " - there are numerous LGBT organizations and activists. However, this does not prevent the court from recognizing the "community" as an extremist organization, as has already happened before with non-existent organizations such as "AUE" (declared as extremist and banned) and "Columbine" (declared as terrorist and banned).

The prohibition of the activities of the non-existent "LGBT movement" will strike at all organizations dealing with this issue: any activity to protect or represent the interests of LGBT people will be criminalized. In Russia, it will become even more dangerous not only for LGBT activists but also for homosexual, bisexual, or transgender persons. Any public statement in this sphere may be considered "involvement in the activities of an extremist organization" or "public incitement to extremism". This is a common practice of the Russian authorities: to create the risk of persecution for a broadly undefined range of actions to make everyone afraid.

The Russian authorities have previously targeted the LGBT community. The purpose of this lawsuit (alongside the previously adopted law banning “propaganda of non-traditional sexual relationships and gender reassignment procedures”) is not only to destroy civil activity in this area in Russia but also to erase homosexual, bisexual, and transgender people from public space. Russia is gradually moving towards criminalizing mere association with the LGBT community. Thus, the regime exploits the worst archaic stereotypes of public consciousness, trying to build the country's identity and ideologically justify its power based on patriarchal archaism.

The case in the Supreme Court, apparently, is classified - meaning that all information about the content of the decision will be limited to the Ministry of Justice's press release. We will not learn the ministry's arguments or the evidence it presented. Once again, a well-established tactic is being used: for example, the case of recognizing Navalny's structures as extremist was closed, and the content of the court's decision is only genuinely known to the participants in the process.

The lawsuit was filed on the eve of the 2024 presidential elections: the fight against the "internal enemy", the persecution of dissenters - familiar elements of pre-election campaigns.

We have no reason to doubt the outcome of this case. We can only express solidarity with those who defend the rights of LGBT people in Russia and wish them strength. On our part, we are ready to help them by all possible legal means.