Russian Authorities Arrest Gay Club Managers in Landmark LGBTQ+ 'Extremism' Case

Russian authorities have arrested employees of a gay club in Orenburg in the country’s first criminal “extremism” case against members of the LGBTQ+ community, with the art director and bar manager facing up to 10 years in prison if found guilty of “organizing extremist activities.” The arrests come after nationalist, pro-war activists assisted law enforcement agencies in raiding the club on suspicion of spreading “LGBT propaganda,” sparking criticism from Amnesty International and concerns from human rights activists.