A Russian teen has been charged a 50,000 rubles ($762.50) fine for posting gay propaganda online.
16-year-old Maxim Neverov has been charged with “propaganda of homosexuality among minors,” according to LGBTQ advocacy group the Russian LGBT Network.
What caused this “offense” was the uploading of images onto the social media site “VKontakte.” An office report on the case overseen by the Commission on Minors and the Protection of Minors’ Rights says that Neverov shared “some pictures (photos) of young men whose appearance (partly nude body parts) had the characteristics of propaganda of homosexual relations according to the expert opinion.”
The Russian LGBT Network provided a lawyer, named Artem Lapov, for Neverov, but they unfortunately lost the case. Lapov is now trying to appeal the decision and says it violates Neverov’s freedom of expression.
To add to that point, Lapov shares that the commission never proved that Neverov posted the pictures himself. Plus, they wanted Neverov to give his testimony to the police officer filing the report without the consult of his lawyer. Neverov refused and thus never got his testimony on the record.
The Russian LGBT Network also pointed out the convenience of Neverov, a minor, being the target of this charge made to protect minors.
Earlier this year, Maxim Neverov was one of the organizers for a performance titled “Gay or Putin.” The performance was so infamously shared by new sources that even the federal legislative assembly, called the Duma, allegedly discussed it. In addition, Neverov’s case materials mention a pride parade that he tried to organize.
Again, Maxim Neverov’s lawyer, Artem Lapov, is trying appeal the court case, but the Commission will provide the reasoning for its judgment before that happens.
h/t: The Russian LGBT Network
