research

Scammers, robbers, and attackers are exploiting the “LGBT extremism” and “gay propaganda” laws to threaten LGBTQIA+ people and justify crimes against them. We found several recent cases illustrating how perpetrators weaponise these discriminatory laws. It might be a sign of escalating persecution of LGBTQIA+ people in Russia. As evidence from other countries shows, discriminatory laws become a tool of violence for both the state and non-state groups, such as vigilantes.

Officially, statistics on hate crimes against LGBTQIA+ people in Russia have never been collected. By analysing openly published rulings of Russian courts for the past 14 years, we have identified over 1,200 such crimes. Because these are only the cases that reached the court, the real number of crimes can be much higher. The number of crimes, including premeditated group attacks, has significantly increased since the adoption of the discriminatory “gay propaganda” law in 2013.