Russia: Punishment halted against middle school girl accused of spreading gay ‘propaganda’

Russian authorities have halted punishing a middle school girl accused of spreading gay “propaganda” among classmates, reportedly due to negative publicity.

Earlier this week, a 14-year-old girl in the Bryansk region of Russia became the first ever minor to be accused of breaking the country’s notorious anti-gay “propaganda” law, which President Vladimir Putin signed into law last June.

She was accused of last November openly declaring herself “to be a person of nontraditional sexual orientation” among classmates.

However, Lena Klimova, author of the social networking page ‘Children-404: We Exist,’ has now announced to Facebook that the decision has been “cancelled.”

Radio Free Europe reports the decision happened apparently due to bad publicity.

Originally, authorities decided not to place criminal charges against the girl as she had not sexually assaulted anyone. Instead, she was put under the supervision of the local juvenile commission.

Ms Klimova herself was recently the fifth person in Russia to be charged under the country’s propaganda law.

She said on her personal social network page that her trial is expected to begin within a month, where she could face a fine of up to 100,000 roubles (£1,720).

• Dec 01 2023

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