Support The Moscow Times!

Russian LGBT Activist Charged With Pornography, Gay Propaganda

Yulia Tsvetkova Vkontakte

Authorities in Far East Russia have charged a feminist and LGBT activist with distributing “gay propaganda” days after she was named a suspect in a criminal pornography case, her lawyer told the sibreal.org news website.

Activist Yulia Tsvetkova, 26, initially revealed her status as a suspect in the criminal pornography case late last month without specifying why the case was opened. The charges, if the case involves minors, carry a prison sentence of up to 15 years if found guilty.

“What I know so far is that some information on Yulia’s social media” triggered the new gay propaganda administrative case, sibreal.org quoted Tsvetkova’s lawyer Yakov Pushkaryov as saying Friday.

Tsvetkova’s trial is set for Dec. 9, Pushkaryov told the OVD-Info police-monitoring website. She faces a fine of up to 100,000 rubles ($1,500) if found guilty of gay propaganda.

Tsvetkova’s mother told the outlet that authorities opened the gay propaganda case over her involvement in two social media groups on LGBT issues and feminism. One of the groups, called Vagina Monologues, is aimed at erasing taboos around menstruation and the anatomy of the vagina.

More than 10,000 people have signed a change.org petition in support of Tsvetkova.

Tsvetkova previously faced police questioning in March after someone filed an anonymous complaint against her art project on body positivity. The mayor’s office in the Khabarovsk region town of Komsomolsk-on-Amur that month banned a youth theater festival directed by Tsvetkova over alleged LGBT propaganda.

Russia banned "propaganda of homosexuality toward minors" in 2013. Rights activists say homophobic attacks have become more frequent since then, despite polling suggesting that attitudes toward equal rights for LGBT groups have reached their highest level in years.

Sign up for our free weekly newsletter

Our weekly newsletter contains a hand-picked selection of news, features, analysiss and more from The Moscow Times. You will receive it in your mailbox every Friday. Never miss the latest news from Russia. Preview
Subscribers agree to the Privacy Policy

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.

Once
Monthly
Annual
Continue
paiment methods
Not ready to support today?
Remind me later.

Read more