The Central District Court of Orenburg handed prison sentences to three defendants in what is described as the first known criminal case in Russia tied to the authorities’ designation of the “LGBT movement” as extremist. The court’s press service reported the ruling.
The case was connected to the operation of the Pose bar in Orenburg. The venue’s owner, Vyacheslav Khasanov, was sentenced to seven years in prison. Administrator Diana Kamilyanova received six years and three months, while art director Alexander Klimov was given two years and three months.
In addition, the court ordered Khasanov to pay more than one million rubles, which investigators and the court classified as “income from criminal activity.” All three were charged with organizing and participating in the activities of an “extremist organization.”
None of the defendants admitted guilt. According to investigators, Kamilyanova filmed performances by drag artists, while Klimov held meetings with performers and, according to law enforcement, “promoted LGBT relationships.”
The criminal case was opened in March 2024. It became the first such case after the Russian Supreme Court ruled in November 2023 that the LGBT movement should be recognized as extremist.
After their detention, Khasanov, Kamilyanova and Klimov were added to Russia’s list of “extremists and terrorists.” Complaints against the bar were reportedly submitted by activists from the Orenburg branch of the Russian Community movement.