Russia's Ongoing Crackdown: Justice Ministry Pushes Supreme Court for Ban on International LGBT Movement

 Russian Justice Ministry Files Complaint to Ban International LGBT Public Movement The Russian justice ministry has lodged a complaint with the Supreme Court, calling for a ban on the international LGBT public movement in the country. The complaint does not specify which specific groups are being targeted but is part of Russia's ongoing crackdown on the LGBTQ community and individuals with non-traditional sexual orientations and gender identities.

The ministry claims that the movement exhibits signs and manifestations of extremism, including incitement to social and religious hatred. This move follows a pattern by Russian authorities, who have used the extremist label to prosecute various rights organizations and opposition groups. A court hearing is scheduled for November 30 to discuss the matter. Critics argue that the Russian government is attempting to erase the LGBT community from public life and ban them as a social group. Dilya Gafurova, the head of the LGBTQ rights group Sphere, emphasizes that the authorities are forgetting that the LGBT community are human beings.

This latest ban proposal comes amidst Russia escalating its campaign against LGBTQ groups since its offensive in Ukraine, which is often depicted as a fight against Western liberal values. If the Russian Supreme Court grants the ban, individuals involved in the so-called LGBT movement could face prison sentences. The ban would equate the movement with other groups deemed extremist, including that of incarcerated Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny. It is worth noting that Russia banned the propaganda of non-traditional sexual relations towards minors in 2013. Homosexuality was also criminalized in Russia until 1993 and was classified as a mental illness until 1999.