The judiciary in Russia imposed a ban on the international LGBTQ+ movement due to “extremism.” Police have now raided several gay bars.
Russian police raided several gay bars and nightclubs in Moscow, according to media reports. In addition, a men-only sauna room was searched, various Russian media reported on Saturday. The coordinated raids appear to have taken place shortly after the Russian judiciary banned the international LGBT movement.
Videos showed police officers, among other things, in front of a gay nightclub where a huge dance party was taking place. An eyewitness told Ostorochno Novosti: “The music stopped in the middle of the party.” The police then took photos of the guests’ identity documents.
The club closes
Late Friday evening, one of the city’s oldest gay clubs in St. Petersburg announced it was closing its doors. As justification, the Hauptbahnhof pointed to the Supreme Court’s decision of the previous day.
On Thursday, the Supreme Court in Russia issued a ban on the “International LGBT Movement” on charges of “extremism” and banned its activities on Russian territory. The English abbreviation LGBT stands for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people.
The ruling took effect immediately. However, the Supreme Court did not initially provide any information about whether its ruling applied to specific people or organizations in Russia. This means that its precise effects remained unclear at first. “Extremism” carries long prison sentences in Russia. (APA/AFP)
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