The authorities in Moscow are considering a misdemeanour charge against a self-described “gay basher” and “defender of traditional values” for discrediting the Russian army, news outlet Ostorozhno Novosti reported on Tuesday.
Timur Bulatov, a St. Petersburg resident who has become notorious for his denunciations and harassment of queer people in recent years, told independent media outlet Mediazona that he was unaware of the charges, and said that he was confident the issue would be resolved and ultimately thrown out.
No details were given about the grounds for the charge, though Bulatov suggested in a comment to Ostorozhno Novosti that it may be related to his denunciation of fringe spiritual leader and would-be politician Svetlana Lada-Rus after her supporters reportedly complained about him to the authorities.
A nominal supporter of the Russian regime, Bulatov’s tireless efforts to have LGBT teachers dismissed from their posts across Russia to “protect” children from their influence have led to over 60 teachers being forced to resign, Bulatov told news website Tayga.info.
In one case that gained significant international attention, artist Yulia Tsvetkova was charged with disseminating “LGBT propaganda” for a page she ran on Russian social media platform VK that featured body positive images of women.
Tsvetkova’s case has spanned months, with her initially being acquitted of all charges, but an appeal court later remanded the case for a new trial. Tsvetkova left Russia after the initial acquittal and has described being subjected to online stalking and receiving death threats from Bulatov, a strict Muslim who terms his activities a “moral jihad”.