The general director of Russian tech giant Yandex is under investigation for violating the country’s ban on displaying “gay propaganda” toward minors, the independent news outlet Mediazona reported Wednesday, citing public court records.
The case against Artyom Savinovsky is linked to his ongoing role as head of the media services department at Kinopoisk, an online Yandex-owned movie database and streaming service, Mediazona quoted the press service of Kinopoisk as saying.
A Moscow court on Tuesday issued a 1-million-ruble ($11,000) fine against Kinopoisk for “showing films demonstrating non-traditional sexual relations” without the appropriate age rating.
“The company is planning to appeal the decision,” the Kinipoisk press service representative said.
The publicly available case files cited by Mediazona don’t specify who initiated the lawsuit against Savinovsky.
Savinovsky was appointed general director of Yandex in April 2022.
Russia late last year expanded its “LGBT propaganda” ban to outlaw public displays of non-traditional relationships and lifestyles to people of any age, not just minors.
Russian authorities have initiated multiple lawsuits against Kinopoisk, the country’s top movie streaming service, since the law came into effect.
A Message from The Moscow Times:
Dear readers,
We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent."
These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia.
We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help.
Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact.
By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us.
Remind me later.
