A Russian court has designated a prominent LGBT rights organisation as an extremist group and ordered a nationwide ban on its operations, marking another step in the country’s tightening restrictions on sexual minority advocacy.
The ruling was issued by a court in St. Petersburg following an appeal by Russia’s Justice Ministry to classify the Russian LGBT Network as an extremist organisation. The decision was delivered during a closed-door hearing.
According to the court’s statement, the ruling imposes an immediate prohibition on all activities linked to the group across Russia.
The move comes amid a broader government campaign against LGBT+ activism, with authorities increasingly targeting organisations and individuals associated with the movement in recent years.
President Vladimir Putin has repeatedly framed such measures as part of efforts to defend what he describes as traditional family values.
In 2024, a Russian state body added what it called the “LGBT movement” to its official list of extremist and terrorist organisations, a designation that covered both international networks and their affiliated groups.
This latest ruling follows a similar decision by Russia’s Supreme Court in 2023, which laid the groundwork for expanded legal action against LGBT-related organisations.
Human rights observers have previously warned that such classifications significantly restrict freedom of association and expose activists to criminal prosecution under extremism laws.
