Russian authorities have identified someone as a member of the international LGBT movement for the first time since the countrys Supreme Court designated the non-existent organization as extremist, the legal rights group Perviy Otdel said Monday.When Russias Supreme Court banned the international LGBT movement in November 2023, it claimed the so-called organization had 281 members, though it did not identify any of them by name at the time.According to Perviy Otdel, Russias Justice Ministry identified LGBTQ+ journalist Vadim Vaganov as an activist from the international LGBT movement during a court appeal over his designation as a foreign agent.The Justice Ministry for the first time named a specific person as an activist of the non-existent international LGBT public movement, Perviy Otdel said, citing Vaganovs lawyer.Being convicted of involvement in an extremist organization is punishable by up to six years in prison.Vaganov publicly came out around the time President Vladimir Putin expanded Russias 2013 gay propaganda law to ban all public mentions of LGBTQ+ identities and lifestyles.
The law, now applicable to all age groups, carries penalties including fines and up to 15 days in jail.According to Novaya Gazeta Europe, the Justice Ministry described Vaganov as an LGBTQ+ activist who had campaigned for political prisoners, unsuccessfully ran for local office with the liberal Yabloko party and currently works for the news outlet Parni Plyus.Since the gay propaganda was passed in 2013, LGBTQ+ rights in Russia have been steadily eroded and incidents of anti-LGBTQ+ violence have increased.