In a recent development, Russia has officially designated the LGBT movement as an 'extremist and terrorist' organization, as reported by state media on Friday. This move follows a previous ruling by Russia's Supreme Court last November, which labeled LGBT activists as 'extremists', sparking fear among the country's gay and transgender community of potential arrests and unfair prosecutions.

The decision to include the LGBT movement in the list of terrorist organizations was announced by the state news agency RIA, citing the international LGBT movement. This move signals a tightening of restrictions on LGBT rights in Russia.

The list of terrorist organizations is maintained by Rosfinmonitoring, an agency with the authority to freeze the bank accounts of individuals associated with these organizations. The list includes names ranging from Al Qaeda to US tech giant Meta and the late opposition leader Alexei Navalny.

According to reports from Indian media outlet Weon, two individuals working at a bar were recently taken into custody by Russian police on charges of playing a significant role in promoting LGBT and homosexuality. This marks the first such case in Russia since the ban on the "international LGBT movement" was instituted in November.

President Vladimir Putin has been instrumental in implementing strict measures against LGBT rights in Russia. In December 2022, he criminalized any positive speech about LGBT in public and banned medical sex reassignment in the country in July of the same year. These actions are seen as part of Putin's broader efforts to distance Russia from Western attitudes and education.