Russian authorities have added LGBTQ+ human rights defenders NC SOS Crisis Group to the country’s contentious ‘foreign agents’ registry. The Russian Ministry of Justice accused the organization of promoting LGBTQ+ relations, which contradicts state policy to preserve and strengthen traditional Russian spiritual and moral values.
Facing Persecution in the North Caucasus
The NC SOS Crisis Group is a human rights project that supports LGBTQ+ people and their families experiencing harassment and persecution from law enforcement in Russia’s North Caucasus region. The situation in the area is particularly challenging for women, LGBTQ+ individuals, and anyone who opposes the authorities. The group has shed light on the horrifying treatment of LGBTQ+ siblings Salekh Magamadov and Ismail Isayev in Chechnya and the arrest and subsequent disappearance of gay refugee Idris Arsamikov.
State-Sanctioned Violence and Discrimination
According to the NC SOS Crisis Group, Russian authorities encourage torture and murder in the region. LGBTQ+ people face torture, murder by family members, arrest, and imprisonment. In Chechnya, special ‘gay prisons’ are widespread, while in Dagestan, LGBTQ+ individuals undergo anti-scientific ‘conversion therapy’ through torture.
Implications of the ‘Foreign Agents’ Label
The ‘foreign agents’ label complicates the life-saving work of the NC SOS Crisis Group by creating additional obstacles. The Russian government, under President Vladimir Putin, has cracked down on queer rights and targeted LGBTQ+ rights organizations and advocates. Putin signed an expanded version of the country’s ‘LGBTQ+ propaganda’ law in December 2022, banning depictions of queer identities and issues in media for all ages.
Human rights advocates argue that Russia’s ‘foreign agents’ law, first passed in 2012 and gradually expanded since, aims to silence government dissenters. The designation carries negative connotations and requires labeled individuals and entities to include lengthy disclaimers in publications, report on their income and spending regularly, and undergo financial audits.
A History of Targeting LGBTQ+ Organizations and Advocates
The NC SOS Crisis Group is not the first LGBTQ+ organization to be labeled a ‘foreign agent.’ Russia’s government previously deemed Coming Out a ‘foreign agent’ in 2014 and added the Russian LGBT Network, Sphere Foundation, and Mayak to their list in recent years. LGBTQ+ individuals and advocates such as Igor Kochetkov, Maria Sabunaeva, Regina Dzugkoeva, and Yulia Tsvetkova have also been targeted.