In Samara, the head of an LGBT organization was fined 450 rubles. This is the first case of "LGBT extremism" against the head of an LGBT initiative.

The Industrial District Court of Samara sentenced Artem Fokin to a fine of 450 thousand rubles and a three-year ban on administering websites for organizing the activities of an extremist organization (Part 1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation) and evading the performance of duties as a “foreign agent” (Part 2 of Article 330.1 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation). 

According to the lawyer Maxim OlenichevThis is the first criminal case of “LGBT extremism” against the head of an LGBT initiative. 

“It is certainly part of the state’s new campaign to ban and criminalize the activities of those LGBT initiatives that it previously included in the ‘foreign agents’ register,” считает Olenichev.

Previously Fokina blamed for repeated violations of the procedures for operating as a “foreign agent” – “Iris” was assigned this status on December 16, 2022. In May 2024, he searchedIn July 2024, Fokin was included in the Rosfinmonitoring list of extremists and terrorists. 

The criminal case against Fokin was initiated based on a denunciation by radical activist Timur Bulatov.