A college student in Sevastopol, Crimea, has been fined by the Russian government approximately $1,300, following allegations of “discrediting armed forces” and promoting “LGTBQA+ propaganda” through posts on the messaging platform, Telegram. This development arrives amid heightened suppression of pro-LGBTQ+ expressions in Russia. For more details, read the full report from JURIST.
According to the local Interior Ministry, the student’s online activity included critical remarks regarding Russia’s military operations in Ukraine. Additionally, the student’s posts expressing support for LGBTQ+ identities were flagged by authorities. In one highlighted post, the student humorously claimed “I am 72 percent gay” after using a joke-bot to assess his online activity. Another post suggested petitioning Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to establish a “reservation of Russian slaves for residents of temporally occupied territories.”
This incident reflects ongoing actions by Russian authorities against LGBTQ+ advocacy, following the classification of the movement as extremist which has been in effect since 2023. The Russian government reportedly collected around $314,000 in related fines during 2024. Both individuals and businesses have faced sanctions as part of this crackdown; for instance, a bookstore in Saint Petersburg was fined for selling materials deemed propagandistic of non-traditional sexual relationships, as outlined in Zona Media.
Furthermore, actions against LGBTQ+ activists have included detentions and arrests, with a recent case involving a resident of Tula Oblast who faced arrest for social media postings displaying LGBTQ+ symbols. These ongoing measures underscore the Russian government’s intensifying stance against LGBTQ+ expressions and rights within the country.