A man in Russia has been fined 100,000 rubles (about $950) for claiming he started the banned-in-Russia international LGBTQ+ rights movement, independent news outlet Mediazona reports.

Anton Evdokimov, who is already in prison for making another provocative post about Russia’s war against Ukraine, made his joking declaration in 2023, one week after Russia’s Supreme Court, acting on a request from President Vladimir Putin, declared the so-called “international LGBT social movement” as a terrorist organization.

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Evdokimov was found guilty in November of “propaganda of non-traditional sexual relations” for distributing the graphic post. The court considered the case in his absence while in prison.

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The ruling described how security forces found a photo of a Pride flag on Evdokimov’s social media accompanied by an ironic “confession” that he “founded an extremist LGBTQ+ organization.”

“Well, since LGBT has been banned, I have to confess – I AM THE FOUNDER AND CHIEF ORGANIZER OF AN EXTREME ORGANIZATION – LGBTQ+!” Evdokimov wrote. “I studied at a lyceum called ‘Rainbow’… I was recruited there, and now I irradiate all homophobes with Rainbow! Every time one of the homophobes looks at a rainbow – their a** starts to itch and they want to suck c**ks! I did all this!) I will lure everyone into this lair! BOO! Be afraid, KGB c**ksuckers – I’m waiting for you with dumbbells – we will do squats!”

The court detailed there social media users left “comments and four positive ratings” for the post.

A support group organized for Evdokimov on Telegram reported he “had an opposition political position his entire adult life” and held jobs as a system administrator and at an electrical appliances factory. A relative said the criminal case against Evdokimov was initiated based on a denunciation associated with his post about the Ukraine war.

Evdokimov has regularly taken part in opposition protests in the past. In January 2021, he was arrested and detained for 10 days after attending a rally in support of opposition anti-corruption leader Alexey Navalny, according to human rights group OVD-Info. Putin imprisoned Navalny on trumped-up embezzlement charges. Navalny died in prison in 2024.

According to Evdokimov, at around seven in the morning on the day of his arrest, security forces came to his home, broke down the front door, and laid him and his brother face down on the floor and handcuffed them. At least six security operatives took part in the raid and confiscated computer equipment, routers and mobile phones from his apartment.

Evdokimov was arrested and remains in custody. His brother was released after questioning.

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