The chief executive officer of Nasdaq-listed internet company Yandex is set to be prosecuted in a Russian court based on allegations of violating the country’s controversial “LGBT propaganda” law, according to a notice posted on the court’s website on Wednesday.
Artem Savinovsky, the CEO in question, will face legal action, though no specific hearing date has been listed yet. This development follows another court’s decision to impose a 1 million rubles ($11,048) fine on an online film database owned by Yandex under the same law.
Yandex has stated its intention to appeal any unfavorable ruling against its CEO.
The court’s website does not provide detailed information on the specific charges against Savinovsky, except that they pertain to “LGBT propaganda.” It is worth noting that this case falls under administrative law, which deals with violations that do not pose significant harm or public danger.
Russia has been increasingly tightening its restrictions on LGBT rights, a move that President Vladimir Putin presents as a response to what he perceives as moral decay in Western nations—a decay that Russia must shield itself from.
In December of the previous year, Putin signed a law that expanded the limitations on the promotion of what Russia terms “LGBT propaganda,” essentially criminalizing any public expression relating to the lifestyles or behaviors of lesbians, gay men, bisexuals, or transgender individuals within the country.
