Report: Russian authorities search homes of Eksmo publishing executives, detain CEO

Source: REN TV

Russian law enforcement officers in Moscow searched the homes of executives at the publishing house Eksmo, the pro-Kremlin TV channel REN TV reported, without citing a source.

The searches were carried out at several addresses in connection with a case involving the organization of an extremist group, the channel said. REN TV also reported that Eksmo CEO Yevgeny Kapyev had been detained.

The searches may be connected to the production and distribution of extremist printed materials by the publisher, the channel said.

REN TV also reported that Eksmo executives, whose homes were searched, had allegedly “developed a scheme to distribute LGBTQ+ literature to minors.”

REN TV published a video showing people in suits stepping out of a minivan, presumably security service officers. The footage does not make clear what is happening or where.

A source at the Russian business daily Kommersant confirmed the searches and Kapyev’s detention, saying the CEO had been taken in for questioning.

Eksmo declined to comment on reports of the searches and Kapyev’s detention.

The Eksmo-AST publishing group, which includes Eksmo, is the largest in Russia.

Eksmo CEO Yevgeny Kapyev has repeatedly spoken publicly about the difficulties publishers face under Russia’s new legal requirements.

In May 2025, ten books from Popcorn Books, then part of Eksmo-AST, became the basis for Russia’s first criminal case against publishers on charges of “LGBT extremism.”

As part of the “publishers’ case,” searches were carried out at the homes of current and former employees of Eksmo, Popcorn Books, and Individuum. Several people named in the case were placed under house arrest on charges of organizing, participating in, and recruiting others into the activities of an organization designated an extremist organization by Russian authorities.

At Meduza, we are committed to transparency about our use of artificial intelligence in the newsroom. The story you’re reading was written by one of our living, breathing journalists and translated from Russian using an AI model configured to follow our strict editorial standards. This translation process is the result of extensive testing and refinements to ensure our English-language coverage is timely and accurate. A Meduza editor reviews every draft before publication.

If you find any errors in this translation, please contact us at reports@meduza.io.

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