Nine Russian LGBT Groups Designated 'Extremist' and Banned
Between March and May 2026, courts in seven Russian regions designated nine LGBT organizations and initiatives as “extremist” and banned them. The international human rights organization Human Rights Watch reported on the court decisions.
The banned organizations include the Coming Out initiative group, LGBT Resource Centre, LGBT media Parni Plus, Moscow Community Center for LGBT+ Initiatives, Irida group, Russian LGBT Network, Kallisto movement, T9 NSK, and Centre T. Courts are also reviewing a lawsuit seeking to ban the Alliance of Straights and LGBT for Equality.
The banned organizations provided psychological, legal, and medical assistance to representatives of the LGBT community, and documented cases of discrimination.
The liquidations are based on a 2023 ruling by the Supreme Court of Russia, which designated the “international LGBT movement” as extremist and banned it. This decision created a legal framework for prosecuting any initiatives supporting LGBT people in the country.
“Russian authorities are intensifying their criminalization of those who provide critical support to the very LGBT people they have systematically persecuted,” said Hugh Williamson, Europe and Central Asia director at Human Rights Watch. “Authorities should vacate all court decisions and criminal convictions based on these spurious ’extremism’ charges.”
Russian legislation stipulates strict punishment for connections with organizations designated as extremist. Participation in their activities carries a penalty of up to six years in prison, while organizing them can result in up to twelve years. Human rights defenders note that at least nine people have been convicted on criminal charges for alleged ties to the “extremist” LGBT movement, with dozens more awaiting trial.
The systematic pressure on LGBT infrastructure continues. In January 2026, the country’s authorities added the global LGBT and intersex rights organization ILGA World to the list of “undesirable” organizations.