Russian LGBTQ+ activist fined as authorities escalate ‘extremism’ crackdown

A court in Russia’s Samara region has imposed a 450,000‑ruble fine on Artyom Fokin, the leader of grassroots LGBTQ+ group Irida, after finding him guilty of organising the activities of what the state now calls an “extremist” organisation and failing to comply with “foreign agent” requirements.

The ruling follows Russia’s 2023 decision to classify the so‑called “international LGBT movement” as an extremist entity, placing it on the same list as banned and terrorist organisations — a designation that carries potential prison sentences of up to 10 years. Prosecutors claimed Fokin created Irida after that ruling and alleged the group had 38 members, including teenagers as young as 14, whom he had invited to participate online.

Authorities had been targeting Irida for years: the Justice Ministry labelled the group a “foreign agent” back in 2022 and sought to have it formally declared “extremist” in 2025. Fokin himself was added to Russia’s national database of “extremists and terrorists” in 2024 following a complaint from a well‑known anti‑LGBTQ+ campaigner.

Human rights lawyer Maxim Olenichev described the case as the first extremism prosecution against the leader of an LGBTQ+ initiative in Russia, warning that it represents a broader state campaign to outlaw queer organisations already marked as “foreign agents.”

The case highlights the rapid intensification of Russia’s criminalisation of LGBTQ+ activism, signalling growing danger for queer communities and human rights defender