MOSCOW: Russian anti-riot police raided a gathering of activists near St. Petersburg, which state television alleged was an “LGBT party against the special military operation” in Ukraine.
Both Ren-TV and 78.ru aired similar reports of the raid on February 18, depicting masked agents questioning attendees about their connections to the so-called “LGBT movement.”
In November, Russia’s Supreme Court prohibited the “international LGBT movement,” an entity that officially does not exist, raising concerns that authorities might exploit this ambiguous designation to conduct widespread persecution of LGBTQ+ individuals.
During the raid, the TV report stated that authorities discovered items featuring LGBT symbols banned in Russia, alongside suspicious documents and handwritten opposition materials.
Among the seized materials was reportedly a piece of paper containing questions about individuals’ concerns and aspirations for the future, with responses linked to the invasion of Ukraine and the targeting of activists.
Mediazona revealed that the event, dubbed a “party” by authorities, was actually a support group meeting involving young transgender individuals, as disclosed in the private Telegram channel of one attendee.
According to Mediazona’s account, attendees, numbering around 10, were forcefully restrained face-down on the floor for four hours, subjected to hair pulling, kicks, and verbal abuse by the police.
It’s noteworthy that both Ren TV and 78.ru are subsidiaries of the major private media conglomerate National Media Group, which is owned by Russian billionaire Yury Kovalchuk, a sanctioned banker with close ties to President Vladimir Putin.
While 78.ru suggested potential criminal charges against the attendees, Mediazona pointed out that the report did not clarify whether any charges were eventually filed against them.
