Russia further targets LGBTI activists, designates ILGA World as “undesirable” organisation

Geneva, 23 January 2026 – Russia’s designation of ILGA World as an “undesirable” foreign organisation is yet another step in its persistent harassment and criminalisation of LGBTI human rights defenders and populations, ILGA World said today.

The law targeting ILGA World — a global federation of over 2,000 organisations from 170 countries and territories — aims to ban any cooperation with ‘undesirables’ for Russian citizens and entities, including the federation’s member organisations in the country.

Julia Ehrt, Executive Director at ILGA World, said:

“Justice begins with human rights defenders holding governments to account for their actions and their work to build a more just society for everyone. But today, the Russian government caved in to its own fear of accountability and justice.

With the application of the law, the Russian government is not punishing ILGA World. It is just adding yet another episode to its authoritarian playbook — one where they scapegoat minorities to distract from the ruling class’s unruly accumulation of power and wealth, and suffocate civil society pushing many people into further hiding.

This is a blueprint that authoritarian leaders in many countries are following, and a pattern that fits the increasingly hostile climate against minorities and civil society almost everywhere.”

The decision of the Russian Ministry of Justice— which also reportedly includes eight other organisations from the United States and from across Europe — was communicated last Wednesday 21 January on the ministry’s website, and has been confirmed by independent sources. ILGA World received no direct communication of the designation, whose official reasons are not known.

First adopted in 2015, and then further expanded in 2021 and in 2024, the law on “undesirable” organisations is one of the repressive tools Russian authorities have adopted to silence all criticism of the government, including about the ongoing invasion and war on Ukraine, and incapacitate civil society.

Under this legislation, Russian citizens who continue to engage with “undesirable” organisations may face up to a six-year prison sentence. Since its adoption, international human rights bodies and experts have repeatedly criticised it, including the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights and the Council of Europe’s Venice Commission. The UN Human Rights Committee and the UN special rapporteur on Russia also urged Russian authorities to revise or repeal it.

This law adds to the arsenal of provisions that, for over a decade, Russia has used to crack down on LGBTI activism. In November 2023, the Supreme Court decided to label the “international LGBT movement” as “extremist” — although, given that such a movement is not an existent “organisation”, who can be found as a participant or an organiser of it is open to very loose interpretations. In 2024, at least seven criminal cases were opened for LGBTI extremism. The volume of content blocked for alleged LGBTI propaganda has surged nearly twelvefold compared to the same period of the previous year. In July 2025, it was reported that a new law had been passed banning Internet searches for information about “extremist organisations”.

“Designating human rights groups ‘undesirable’ is outlandish and cynical, yet here we are,” concluded Ehrt. “But, no matter how much governments will try to legislate LGBTI people out of existence, movements will stay strong and committed, and solidarity remains alive across borders. And together, we will continue building a more just world for everyone.”