The Real Russia. Today. Russia prosecutes a woman for sharing a BuzzFeed story about LGBT activism; falling immigration means Russian population decline is back; and why officials have been silent about Russia’s bomb threats

Story of the day

Russia’s illegal BuzzFeed article. On July 26, 2017, police charged LGBT-rights activist Evdokiya Romanova with violating Russia’s ban on “gay propaganda.” The 27-year-old woman told Meduza that she’s a participant and supporter in several different civic groups. Romanova is being charged because she posted hyperlinks to a youth LGBT rights coalition, along with a few articles about the LGBT movement, including a report by The Guardian about a referendum in Ireland to legalize samesex marriage and an article by BuzzFeed about a demonstration by LGBT rights activists in St. Petersburg. Romanova’s hearing is scheduled for September 18. She faces a fine as high as 100,000 rubles ($1,730). Story in English

• Context: Russia’s ban on “gay propaganda” has been in place for four years now. In June 2013, over the objections of LGBT rights groups, the State Duma adopted a law prohibiting the dissemination of “propaganda of nontraditional sexual orientations among minors.”  In June 2017, the court ruled that the Russian law is discriminatory, finding that Russia is in violation of Article 10 (the right to free expression) and Article 14 (freedom from discrimination) of the European Convention. Moscow is currently trying to appeal this ruling.

Russia and the world

Russian population decline is back. The number of migrants who entered Russia in the first half of 2017 was the lowest it’s been in the past seven years, according to a new study by the Institute of Social Analysis and Forecasting at the Russian Academy of Sciences. Between January and July, 102,3000 migrants reportedly entered Russia. The last time this figure was any lower was in 2010, when 89,600 incoming migrants were recorded. Researchers also say this was the first time since 2010 that immigration was too low to offset Russia’s native population decline. Story in Russian

RFE/RL and RT face off on Meduza’s infographic. In response to our controversial infographic on September 14, comparing the funding and reach of Russian and American state-funded international broadcasting networks, Meduza has received statements from RFE/RL and RT. Read them here

The Donbass won’t be abandoned, Moscow says. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov says reports about a reduction of humanitarian aid to pro-Russian separatists in eastern Ukraine are inaccurate, clarifying that Moscow is planning a “distribution not a reduction.” Earlier on Friday, media outlets reported that the Russian government intends to end its humanitarian aid deliveries to eastern Ukraine, in order to reallocate those resources to projects in Crimea and Kaliningrad. Moscow has been sending shipments of humanitarian aid to eastern Ukraine since August 2014, delivering a reported 69,500 tons of cargo. Story in Russian

Tit for tat for a few lousy parking spaces. Moscow officials say parking spaces reserved for U.S. embassy staff were recently reopened to the public “due to an acute shortage of parking spaces” in the area. On September 11, Russian officials told the newspaper Kommersant that they were reviewing the possibility of revoking U.S. diplomats’ access to dedicated parking facilities near the American embassy and Moscow and at consular offices in other cities. According to the newspaper Kommersant, this is one of the measures Moscow is considering as a means to establishing “full parity” between Russian and American diplomatic missions. Story in Russian

Law and order and God

Calling for help against Russia’s “Christian State” leader. Filmmaker Alexey Uchitel, the director of a controversial upcoming movie, has filed a report with Russia’s Federal Security Service, following public comments by “Christian State” leader Alexander Kalinin, who told Meduza in an interview that Russian Orthodox activists nationwide are preparing acts of violence against cinemas and people who facilitate the release of his film. Uchitel argues that Kalinin’s comments incite acts of terrorism. Story in Russian

Not in their name. The Moscow Patriarchate is proposing legislation that would prohibit organizations unaffiliated with established religious groups from using the names of those faiths in their names (for example, “Russian Orthodox”). A legal spokesperson for the Moscow Patriarchate told reporters that there is a “whole block” of organizations that use the word “Orthodox” in their names, “without any connection” to the Russian Orthodox Church, saying this risks public misperceptions that various groups act under the aegis of the Church. Story in Russian

The silence on the bomb threats is orchestrated. Russia’s Federal Security Service has reportedly ordered spokespeople for Russia’s Interior Ministry and Emergency Management Ministry to withhold all commentary regarding a nationwide wave of bomb threats that has led to evacuations of schools, shopping centers, and more, a source in the Russian federal government told told the newspaper Vedomosti. According to the source, the Federal Security Service has issued the gag order to avoid “inciting a panic” and potential copycat “phone terrorism.” Story in Russian