Gay clubgoers found guilty of “hooliganism” following Moscow raids

Over the weekend, a Russian court found up to a dozen individuals rounded up at gay clubs in Moscow guilty of “hooliganism,” sentencing them to administrative detention.

Russian security forces raided three clubs from Saturday night into Sunday morning as part of efforts to combat LGBTQ+ propaganda, as reported by the state-run TASS news agency. These raids took place at several Moscow nightclubs, including Arma, Inferno, and Mono. Videos show heavily armed officers ordering clubgoers, seated on the floor with their hands raised, to comply.

According to ‘LGBTQ Nation’, at the Mono nightclub, young men were reportedly issued military draft notices by police, according to a source who spoke with Vyorstka. The Lefortovo District Court in Moscow stated that those detained were guilty of petty hooliganism and public order disruption. “These citizens committed an administrative offense, which was expressed in obvious disrespect for society, accompanied by obscene language in a public place,” the court’s statement noted.

The raids mark the one-year anniversary of Russia labelling the LGBTQ+ movement as an “extremist” organisation, with the penalty for extremism in Russia being up to 12 years in prison. Independent website Mediazona reported that the clubgoers were detained for up to 15 days due to administrative offences, such as swearing at security forces, according to court records.

According to the Telegram channel Baza, security forces blocked club exits at Arma for three hours, questioning patrons and detaining many. During these operations, police confiscated electronic devices, weapons, and alcohol. Additionally, during one raid, the director of a travel agency for gay men was arrested for “organizing tours for members of the LGBT community,” according to The Moscow Times.

These actions align with a pattern of government-endorsed harassment of the LGBTQ+ community following President Vladimir Putin’s administration's ban on the so-called “international LGBT movement” last year. Since 2013, Putin has enacted increasingly extensive anti-LGBTQ+ propaganda laws, making such raids and arrests at LGBTQ+ venues commonplace in Russia.

In November, Russian lawmakers enacted two new laws promoting “traditional family values.” One law extends the ban on “propaganda of non-traditional sexual relations and (or) preferences or gender reassignment” to include the promotion of childlessness. The other law prohibits citizens from countries that permit gender transitioning from adopting Russian children. Twelve countries, including Russia, currently ban all forms of gender transition.