Finland Has Twice Denied Asylum to Russian LGBT Activist Vasili Marinin. His Deportation Is on Hold Pending Appeal

The Finnish Immigration Service (Migri) denied asylum to Russian LGBT activist Vasili Marinin for a second time in July 2026. As Yle reported on November 9, his deportation was suspended pending an appeal. The agency found that the risk of persecution had not been sufficiently substantiated. In assessing whether the Russian authorities were likely to take an interest in Marinin, it cited, among other factors, the low engagement with his social media posts.

In January 2025, Migri also denied asylum to Alexei Karachevsky and his husband. The couple said they had faced beatings and pressure at work in Russia because of their sexual orientation. The agency concluded at the time that they could turn to the Russian police if threatened. The couple appealed and were granted asylum in September 2025.

Russia’s Supreme Court designated the so-called “international LGBT public movement” as extremist in 2023. Migri explains its approach by saying that belonging to a sexual minority alone is insufficient grounds for asylum. The agency assesses each applicant’s risk of persecution. According to Yle, Tema, a Finnish organization representing Russian-speaking LGBT people, asked the agency to update the sources it uses to assess conditions in Russia.