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Russia jails club owner and two employees under ban on 'LGBT movement'
The court said the three defendants organized nightclub events tied to the banned movement and imposed prison terms, fines and post-release work bans.
On Monday, an Orenburg court sentenced the owner of the "Pose" nightclub and two employees to prison in Russia's first criminal case targeting what authorities call the "LGBT movement."
Authorities accused the trio of organizing events demonstrating "affiliation with people of non-traditional sexual orientation" under the guise of running a nightclub, following the Russian Supreme Court's 2023 designation of the "LGBT movement" as "extremist."
Owner Vyacheslav Khasanov received a seven-year term and a 1 million ruble fine; manager Diana Kamilyanova was jailed for six years and three months, and art director Alexander Klimov for two years and three months.
Russian LGBT rights lawyers warn the verdict sets a precedent for future prosecutions against the community and its advocates, potentially destroying remaining "safe havens" for LGBT people in Russia.
Under President Vladimir Putin, Russia has increasingly cracked down on LGBT rights, portraying them as a Western invention threatening traditional values rooted in the family, nation, and Orthodox Christian faith.
Two employees of a "queer club" in the Russian provinces stood trial for "organizing and participating in the extremist international LGBT civic movement." They were found guilty.