Russia adds prominent LGBTQ rights group, lawyers to list of ‘foreign agents’

A prominent LGBTQ rights group has been designated as a “foreign agent” by Russia’s Justice Ministry.

The Russian LGBT Network, known for its work with LGBTQ people fleeing anti-gay persecution in Chechnya, as well as five lawyers from the recently dissolved legal group Komanda 29 (Team 29), received the official designation on Monday, and they are now subject to additional government scrutiny.

According to The Moscow Times, the classification is designed to target groups receiving “foreign funding” and engaging in “political activity,” and is reminiscent of the Soviet-era “enemy of the people” tag.

Activists with the St. Petersburg-headquartered organization — which was formed in 2006 and has 17 regional offices across the country — strongly rejected the categorization and said that they would appeal the decision in court.

“At the moment we are not aware as to what was the reason for recognizing us as a foreign agent,” the group said in a statement. “Russian LGBT Network does not agree with such a status. We are not involved in any political activity, we provide legal, psychological help, protect the rights of LGBTQ+ community.”

For years, the LGBTQ community has faced intense persecution in the southern Russian republic of Chechnya. In 2017, law enforcement officials rounded up dozens of men on suspicion of being gay, held them in unofficial detention facilities for days, humiliated, starved and tortured them, in an episode that has been dubbed Chechnya’s “anti-gay purge.”

Since then, LGBTQ rights groups, such as the Russian LGBT Network, have assisted people who want to flee the horrors of anti-LGBTQ persecution.

The group works by collecting information and providing emergency assistance — such as shelter and help with relocation. It also offers both psychological and legal assistance to the victims. Its life-saving mission was captured in the 2020 HBO Films documentary “Welcome to Chechnya,” which was nominated for an Emmy and won the documentary special jury award for editing at last year’s Sundance Film Festival.

“LGBT-Network has exposed heinous crimes against gay men in Chechnya and helped evacuate people at risk to safety where they can speak about these atrocities,” Natalia Zviagina, Amnesty International’s Moscow office director, said in a statement.

“Now LGBT-Network is, itself, a victim of the persecution that is being increasingly targeted at all human rights defenders — openly, viciously and cynically,” she added.