Russian Courts Issue $280,000 in Fines for LGBTQ+ Propaganda in 18-Month Period

Russian courts have imposed 188 fines totaling nearly 30 million rubles (approximately $280,000) under administrative articles addressing “propaganda of nontraditional relationships, gender change, and pedophilia,” according to a report by Russian media Meduza on January 6.

The fines cover the period from 2023 through the first half of 2024.

In 2023 alone, courts issued 101 fines. These penalties, targeting individuals and entities, amounted to 16.2 million rubles ($150,000). During the first six months of 2024, another 87 fines were levied, totaling 13.7 million rubles ($130,000).

Over the 18 months, 125 individuals, 27 legal entities, and 44 officials were held administratively liable.

The Judicial Department also released data on penalties imposed on ‘foreign agents,’ a designation widely used by the Kremlin to label individuals and organizations critical of the government. Over the same period, courts issued 620 fines against ‘foreign agents’ for failing to comply with legal requirements. These fines totaled 25.8 million rubles ($240,000).

In December 2022, Russian leader Vladimir Putin signed a law that introduced fines for “propaganda of non-traditional sexual relations, preferences, and gender reassignment”. Penalties were also introduced for distributing such content to minors and for “propaganda of pedophilia”. Since 2013, Russia has had a law banning “LGBT propaganda” among minors. The new law extended the ban on “propaganda” to all Russians.

In November 2023, the Russian Supreme Court declared the “international LGBT social movement” an extremist organization and banned its activities in Russia.

Earlier, reports emerged that at least seven individuals were fined by Russian authorities for ‘looking too gay’ during a police raid on a nightclub in Tula in February.