Raids on LGBTQ+ Venues Follow Russia's Supreme Court Ban on International Movement

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ICARO Media Group
Politics
02/12/2023 18h41

Article:

Moscow security forces conducted a series of raids on LGBTQ+ nightclubs, bars, and saunas in the city center on Friday night, just a day after Russia's Supreme Court declared the international LGBTQ+ movement an "extremist" organization. The raids occurred under the pretense of conducting drug searches, according to local media reports.

Eyewitnesses revealed that police officers searched several venues across the Russian capital, including a nightclub, a male sauna, and a bar known for hosting LGBTQ+ parties. Clubgoers' documents were checked and photographed by the security services, as reported by various media outlets.

One specific raid occurred at a club on Malaya Yakimanka, where a party for the LGBTQ+ community was taking place. Ostorozhno Novosti Telegram news channel reported that the police abruptly interrupted the party, halted the music, and began entering the premises. At the exit, passports were confiscated for unauthorized photography, violating individuals' privacy rights, as stated by an eyewitness cited in the Ostorozhno Novosti report.

The timing of these raids is significant, coming just after Russia's Supreme Court effectively banned the international LGBTQ+ movement. The decision has received widespread international condemnation. The European Union released a statement on Friday, strongly condemning the court's ruling and expressing concerns over the escalating crackdown on the rights of LGBTQ+ individuals under President Putin.

The statement further denounced the court's decision as an attempt to further persecute the LGBTQ+ community in Russia and suppress civil society initiatives that courageously defend human rights. The European Union's condemnation highlights the global outcry against Russia's treatment of its LGBTQ+ citizens and the erosion of freedoms in the country.

The raids on LGBTQ+ venues in Moscow, following the ban on the international LGBTQ+ movement, have sparked outrage and deepened concerns about the worsening situation for the LGBTQ+ community in Russia. Human rights organizations and activists are calling for international solidarity and continued pressure on the Russian authorities to respect the rights and dignity of all individuals, regardless of their sexual orientation or gender identity.

As developments unfold, the international community will closely watch the situation in Russia, monitoring the treatment of the LGBTQ+ community and assessing the impact of the Supreme Court's ruling on human rights and civil liberties within the country.

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