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End the Prosecution of Yulia Tsvetkova and Drop All Charges

Yulia Tsvetkova, is a Russian activist and artist who is facing prosecution and harassment for defending women’s and LGBTI rights. Yulia was detained on November 20, 2019 and put under house arrest two days later after being charged with “production and dissemination of pornographic materials” (Point B,Part 3, Article 242 of the Russian Criminal Code). If convicted, she could face up to 6 years in prison.

The basis for these absurd charges were her drawings of the female body, including body‐positive pictures of female reproductive organs, which she posted on social media as part of her women empowerment campaign. On the day of her detention, searches were carried out in Yulia Tsvetkova’s apartment and in the children’s educational club where she worked previously. The police seized her electronic devices, documents, and brochures on gender issues.

On December 11, 2019, she was found guilty of “propaganda of non‐traditional sexual relations among minors”, an administrative offense under Article 6.21 of the Code of Administrative Offenses and fined 50,000 rubles (US$ 780) for being the administrator of two LGBTI‐themed online communities on the popular Russian social media, VKontakte. Both online communities were marked “18+”, as required by Russian law, making the fine imposed on her unfounded, even under the homophobic Russian “gay propaganda” legislation (this “offence” only arises if the “propaganda” material is targeted at persons under 18).

On January 17, 2020, Yulia was informed that new proceedings had been opened against her under the same Article of the Code of Administrative Offences, this time for posting on social media her drawing “Family is where love is. Support LGBT+ families” depicting two same‐sex couples with children.

Yulia Tsvetkova has been the target of an overtly homophobic campaign since March 2019, when she had to leave her work with youth amateur theatre company Merak after the police had launched an investigation into alleged “propaganda of non-traditional sexual relations among minors” on account of her anti-bullying and anti-discrimination play “Blue and Pink”. Also, the theatrical group she had founded in 2018 was forced to cease its activities.

Updated on Aug 24, 2020.

⬇ Make Your Voice Heard ⬇

Prosecutor

Boris Viktorovich

Kononen

Russia

Dear Prosecutor Kononenko,

We are writing to express our indignation about the continued prosecution of Yulia Tsvetkova, an artist and activist from Komsomolsk-on-Amur. She is facing criminal and administrative proceedings that have been initiated on absurd grounds.

On November 20, 2019, Yulia Tsvetkova was arbitrarily detained, questioned by police, and her flat was searched. She spent four months under house arrest, while there was an ongoing “investigation” against her under charges of “production and dissemination of pornography”, a crime which carries a penalty of up to six years in prison. The grounds for the criminal proceedings against her are based on her drawings of the female body.

She has also been targeted under the Code of Administrative Offenses for so-called “propaganda of non-traditional sexual relations among minors” on account of being the administrator of two LGBTI-themed online communities. These proceedings arise under the homophobic legislation which expressly discriminates against LGBTI people and violates their right to freedom of expression. These proceedings are absurd and unfounded, even under Russian law, as both online communities in question were marked “18+”, as required by Russian law, and as such were not targeted at minors. Further administrative proceedings have been instigated against Yulia Tsvetkova for the same “offense”.

The only true reason Yulia Tsvetkova is facing prosecution is her activism, through which she seeks to promote and defend women’s rights and the rights of LGBTI people and exercise her right to freedom of expression.

We urge you to take all the necessary steps to end Yulia Tsvetkova’s prosecution; drop all the charges against her, both criminal and administrative; and have the travel ban restrictions on her lifted as well.

Sincerely,

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