Russia lays first charges for publicising LGBT propaganda

The head of the state Duma Committee on Information Policy has laid charges against Popcorn Books in the first case to be tried under the LGBT propaganda law.

Russian state news agency service TASS reported on Tuesday, January 10 that Alexander Khinshtein had laid charges after complaints against the publisher.

He expects that the case against Popcorn Books will go to court shortly, after what he described as the publisher´s “openly challenging the state.”

Describing Popcorn Books as the flagship of LGBT literature promotion in Russia he said: “After the entry into force in December of our laws banning LGBT propaganda, Popcorn Books not only continued to sell such books but also defiantly began to decorate their covers with quotes from Article 29 of the Constitution, which guarantees freedom of speech and the prohibition of censorship.”

He added that the publisher will “get what it deserves.”

The Golyanovo Interior Ministry opened a case under Art. 6.21 of the Code of Administrative Offenses (“Propaganda of non-traditional sexual relations and (or) preferences, sex change”), as well as under Art. 20.1 (“Petty hooliganism”) against Popcorn on December 28.

The banning of so-called LGBT propaganda is just one of the laws that were introduced by the Kremlin in 2022 as it moved to control the media and to promote “Russian values.”

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