A woman in Russia has been fined under the country’s harsh anti-LGBTQ+ propaganda laws for sharing rainbow flag images on social media—posts made five years ago.
According to Novaya Gazeta Europe, an independent media outlet known for its critical reporting on the Russian government, a court in Cherkessk, located in the Karachay-Cherkessia region, found that the woman had shared “symbols of the extremist LGBT community” while using a pseudonym on the VK social media platform.
Among the posts was reportedly an image of two women kissing.
The woman, whose identity remains undisclosed, pleaded guilty, expressed remorse, and asked the court for leniency, saying the account had not been active for five years. The court issued her with a fine of 1,000 rubles—equivalent to approximately $20.00 NZD.
This case is the latest in a series of crackdowns following Russia’s Supreme Court decision in November 2023 to designate the so-called “international public LGBT movement”—a vague and undefined concept—as extremist. The ruling stated that LGBTQ+ “signs and manifestations” were of an “extremist nature” and contributed to “social and religious discord.”
The ruling took effect in January 2024, effectively criminalising any form of LGBTQ+ expression or advocacy across the country.
Since then, Russia has seen widespread censorship and persecution of LGBTQ+ individuals and allies. These have included:
- Bar staff and venue owners from queer-friendly spaces are being imprisoned
- More than 50 club-goers detained at LGBTQ+ nightlife events
- Duolingo forced to remove inclusive content
- Apple was fined millions of rubles for undisclosed reasons
- My Little Pony reclassified as 18+ content
- The Elton John AIDS Foundation was banned for being “undesirable”
- A gay student was expelled from university for posting makeup videos
Other alarming cases have surfaced, including a man fined for joking that he started the LGBTQ+ rights movement, and another who died in custody after being accused of running an LGBTQ+ travel agency.
In February 2025, it was reported that Russian authorities are working on the creation of a database to track LGBTQ+ citizens, further escalating concerns around state surveillance and systemic discrimination.
The Supreme Court’s declaration and the subsequent law enforcement actions mark a severe turning point in Russia’s ongoing suppression of LGBTQ+ rights, with no clear end in sight.
