Russian Supreme Court Declares LGBT Movement Extremist, All Related Activities Prohibited

LGBT illustration. (Unsplash/Margaux Bellott)

JAKARTA - The Russian Supreme Court designated the LGBT movement as extremist, banning all activities related to it in the country on Thursday.

"Granted the Ministry of Justice's lawsuit to recognize the LGBT movement as extremist," said the judge announcing the decision, reported by TASS, December 1.

The court decision, which was held behind closed doors, due to the presence of confidential material in the case, was immediately implemented after it was decided.

The court took about four hours to study the evidence presented by the Ministry of Justice, after which the operative part of the verdict was announced, during which the court's motives remained unknown.

Previously, the Ministry of Justice had filed a lawsuit to ban the LGBT movement in Russia.

In the lawsuit, various signs and manifestations related to extremism, including incitement of social and religious discord, have been identified in the movement's activities on the territory of the Russian Federation.

It is known that Russian President Vladimir Putin has long sought to promote Russia's image as a custodian of traditional moral values, in contrast to the decadent West.

In a speech last year, he said Western countries were allowed to adopt "trends that I think are a bit strange, outdated like gender dozens, and gay parades" but had no right to impose them on other countries, as quoted by Reuters.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters before the court decision was announced that the Kremlin was "not following" the case and had no comment on it.

Separately, LGBT activists considered the decision inevitable after a request by the Ministry of Justice on November 17, which said "various signs and manifestations of extremist orientation, including incitement of social and religious discord" had been identified in the activities of the LGBT movement in Russia.

"Of course it's very worrying, and I don't remember the threat being so serious and real," Alexei Sergeyev, an LGBT activist in St Petersburg, told Reuters TV in an interview earlier this month.

It is known that more than 100 groups have been banned in Russia because they are considered "extremist". Those included include the Jehovah's Witnesses religious movement and organizations linked to opposition politician Alexei Navalny.