The arrested publishing professionals work at Eksmo, the largest publisher in Russia, and its subsidiary Popcorn Books, 51% owned by Eksmo since August 2023. The independent media outlet The Insider has published a list of 50 books shared by Eksmo with its partners requesting that they be “disposed of on site or returned if unsold”.
Kristenn Einarsson, Chair of the IPA’s Freedom to Publish Committee said: These arrests demonstrate the risks publishers now face in Russia. We stand with our arrested colleagues and urge the authorities to drop any charges. Russian readers are richer with a broad range of books which is best secured through the real freedom to publish.
Gvantsa Jobava, President of the International Publishers Association added: The development of LGBTI laws in Russia and in other countries, like Georgia and Bulgaria, clearly represent a limit on the freedom to publish and publishers should be attentive to the development of any similar laws in their countries and actively resist.
Amnesty International reacted to the arrests on 15 May noting that the “arrests take place against the backdrop of an accelerating crackdown on LGBTI rights following a November 2023 decision by Russia’s Supreme Court to ban the so-called ‘International LGBT Movement’ as ‘extremist,’ enabling the persecution of anyone associated with LGBTI identities or advocacy under anti-extremism legislation. Since the ban came into force in January 2024, Russian authorities have launched at least 12 criminal cases, conducted raids on LGBTI venues, issued administrative fines and short-term detentions for displaying rainbow-themed symbols and forced the closure of LGBTI advocacy groups.”