British NGO blasts Russia’s LGBT ban

Amnesty International has condemned Russia’s ban on the “LGBT movement” Read Full Article at RT.com

British NGO blasts Russia’s LGBT ban

The ruling of the country’s top court will have a “catastrophic” effect, Amnesty International has warned

The London-based human rights advocacy group Amnesty International has strongly denounced Russia’s ban on the “international LGBT movement.” 

Marie Struthers, the NGO’s Eastern Europe and Central Asia director, said that the “shameful and absurd” decision by Russia’s Supreme Court is tantamount to “a blanket ban on LGBTI organizations” that will pave the way for discrimination.

“It will affect countless people, and its repercussions are poised to be nothing short of catastrophic,” Struthers said in a statement on Amnesty’s website. She called on Russia to “immediately review this ruling.”

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File photo: Moscow's Cathedral of Christ the Savior, viewed from the Patriarchy Bridge
Church applauds LGBT ban

On November 17, the Russian Justice Ministry asked the country’s top court to add the “international LGBT movement” to the country's list of extremist groups, citing “incitement of social and religious discord,” as well as unspecified “extremist traits.” The hearing on Thursday took place behind closed doors and reportedly involved more than 20 volumes of casefiles.

The inclusion of groups in the list of “extremist organizations” effectively outlaws all of their activities and symbols.

It is not clear which groups and people will be affected by the ruling, which has come amid a crackdown on the “LGBT ideology” in Russia.

In 2013, the country outlawed LGBT “propaganda” targeting minors. The legislation was expanded in November 2022 to include a total ban on “propaganda of non-traditional sexual relations and preferences,” as well as transgenderism.