Russia’s Justice Ministry said Friday it has filed a motion for the Supreme Court to ban what it called an “international LGBT public movement” as extremist.
The LGBT “movement’s” activities within Russia were found to “incite social and religious discord” in violation of the country’s anti-extremism laws, the ministry said in a statement.
It was not immediately clear how Russian authorities are expected to prove the existence of an organized global LGBT movement.
Individuals found guilty of involvement in an “extremist” group face lengthy prison terms.
“In practice, this would likely mean that person could be jailed for having a rainbow flag on their avatar,” said independent investigative journalist Farida Rustamova, accusing the Russian authorities of “inventing” the formal movement.
Russia’s Supreme Court is scheduled to rule on the Justice Ministry’s petition on Nov. 30.
If granted, the ruling would equate the so-called “LGBT movement” to groups like that of the jailed Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny.
In 2013, Russia banned “propaganda of non-traditional sexual relations” toward minors.
Last year, President Vladimir Putin expanded the law to include public displays of non-traditional relationships and lifestyles to people of any age, not just minors.
Homosexuality was a crime in Russia until 1993, and it was regarded as a mental illness until 1999.
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