The human rights organization DELO LGBT+ announced its dissolution and cessation of work in Russia. This happened on the same day that the Supreme Court declared the «international LGBT movement» an extremist organization.
“We regret to inform you that our colleagues have now relocated from the country and will continue to engage in international human rights protection. At the same time, the motto is still relevant for us: “No one will be left alone with the System.” We promise that no one will be left without help in court,” DELO LGBT+ said in a statement.
Human rights activists promised to transfer the cases of their clients to other lawyers who will bring them to the end.
DELO LGBT+ was engaged in protecting the interests of the LGBT+ community in Russia. In particular, the organization helped bloggers Gele Gogishvili and Haoyang Xu, who were prosecuted in the case of “LGBT propaganda”; won a lawsuit to change the gender marker on the birth certificate of her unnamed client, and also represented the interests of TikToker Vladislav Semenov (Vlad Durak).
The Supreme Court considered the lawsuit to ban the “international LGBT movement” today in four hours. No one except representatives of the Ministry of Justice was allowed into the meeting, which was held behind closed doors. The text of the decision will not be published.
The ban on the activities of the “international LGBT movement” comes into force immediately. However, liability for violation of this prohibition will occur only after the court decision comes into force. As the First Department notes, if the ban is not appealed, it will come into force on January 10, 2024.
“Homophobia and transphobia becomes an ideology of war.” Brief chronology of the LGBTQ+ ban in modern Russia