Two Russian LGBT groups say courts declared them 'extremist'

April 23 (Reuters) - Two ‌Russian LGBT ​organisations ​said on Thursday they had been designated by separate courts ‌as "extremist", part of a widening crackdown on ⁠the gay and transgender community.

Both the 'Moscow Community Center ‌for LGBT+ Initiatives' and ‌ParniPlus, whose Russian-language website reports on LGBT health and rights issues, said they ​would continue operating despite the rulings.

"We view this as yet another step ⁠toward criminalizing LGBTQ visibility, independent journalism, and any public solidarity ​with the community in Russia," ParniPlus said in an online statement.

The case ​follows Russia's 2023 ban ‌on what it calls the "LGBT movement", part of a wave of ⁠restrictions on sexual orientation and gender identity under President Vladimir Putin in the name ⁠of conservative values.

On Tuesday, the authorities questioned the staff ​of one of Russia's largest publishers over possible "LGBT propaganda" in its book catalogue.

Human Rights Watch accused ‌Russian authorities in March of "weaponizing the justice system to marginalize and ‌censor LGBT people and their supporters, ⁠flagrantly violating their rights ‌to free ​expression, association, and nondiscrimination."

(Reporting by Alessandra PrenticeEditing by Mark Trevelyan and Gareth ‌Jones)

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