Russian authorities seek dissolution of prominent transgender rights organization founded in 2007

The Moscow branch of Russia’s Justice Ministry has filed a lawsuit to dissolve the Transgender Foundation, a Russian trans rights organization that has been active for over 15 years, state media reported.

Court records show the lawsuit was filed on January 24.

In February 2024, the ministry called for the organization’s closure following a routine inspection, according to the group’s director, Yael Demedetskaya. She told journalists that the inspection report cited quotes from participants of a 2017 seminar taken from social media. The ministry claimed the seminar involved discussions of “basic moral and cultural norms, religious principles, the institution of marriage, and societal family values,” while accusing the group of “actively promoting permissiveness, immorality, and selfishness.”

Founded in 2007, the Transgender Foundation grew out of the website transgender.ru, which originally coordinated support group meetings for trans people in Russia. It later expanded to include a clinic offering medical support for those undergoing gender transitions. In 2017, the project’s founders left Russia due to the risk of persecution.