{"id":56932,"date":"2025-09-01T16:16:26","date_gmt":"2025-09-01T13:16:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/memopzk.org\/news\/my-schitaem-politzaklyuchyonnymi-sotrudnikov-knizhnogo-izdatelstva-individuum-print\/"},"modified":"2026-03-31T01:40:28","modified_gmt":"2026-03-30T22:40:28","slug":"my-schitaem-politzaklyuchyonnymi-sotrudnikov-knizhnogo-izdatelstva-individuum-print","status":"publish","type":"news","link":"https:\/\/memopzk.org\/en\/news\/my-schitaem-politzaklyuchyonnymi-sotrudnikov-knizhnogo-izdatelstva-individuum-print\/","title":{"rendered":"Dmitry Protopopov, Artyom Vakhlyaev and Pavel Ivanov are political prisoners"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><em>Three employees of the publishing house Individuum Print have been charged with extremist activity as members of the so-called \u2018international LGBT movement\u2019 for distributing books<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1260\" height=\"600\" src=\"https:\/\/memopzk.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/pr-protopopov-vakhlyaev-ivanov.png\" alt=\"Dmitry Protopopov, Artyom Vakhlyaev and Pavel Ivanov are political prisoners\" class=\"wp-image-57035\" srcset=\"https:\/\/memopzk.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/pr-protopopov-vakhlyaev-ivanov.png 1260w, https:\/\/memopzk.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/pr-protopopov-vakhlyaev-ivanov-768x366.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1260px) 100vw, 1260px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>The \u2018Political Prisoners. Memorial\u2019 human rights project, in accordance with <\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/memopzk.org\/en\/guidelines-on-definition-of-political-prisoner\/\"><strong>international criteria<\/strong><\/a><strong>, considers Dmitry Protopopov, Artyom Vakhlyaev and Pavel Ivanov political prisoners. The three men are being prosecuted on a charge of \u2018organising the activities of an extremist organisation using their official position\u2019 for distribution of books with an LGBT theme. Their prosecution violates their right to a fair trial. We demand the release of Dmitry Protopopov, Artyom Vakhlyaev and Pavel Ivanov and that all criminal charges against them be dropped.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>What are the charges against the publishers?<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>On 14 May 2025 law enforcement officers searched the offices of the publishing house Eksmo and the apartments of a number of employees, seizing more than 1,000 copies of books. According to the authorities, some of the books distributed by the publisher Individuum Print, which is owned by Eksmo, contained elements of propaganda for the \u2018international LGBT movement.\u2019<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>On 15 May 2025, the executive director of Individuum Print, Dmitry Protopopov, warehouse manager Artyom Vakhlyaev, and former sales director Pavel Ivanov, were placed under house arrest on charges of \u2018organising the activities of an extremist organisation using their official position\u2019 (Article 282.2, Part 3, of the Russian Criminal Code).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>According to the prosecution, the three men \u2018for motives of profit, published and sold books promoting the activities of the LGBT movement, designated an extremist organisation in Russia.\u2019 The Investigative Committee has not specified which specific books relate to the charge. However, according to some reports, one of the books was the novel <em>Pioneer Summer <\/em>(Russian:<em> \u041b\u0435\u0442\u043e \u0432 \u043f\u0438\u043e\u043d\u0435\u0440\u0441\u043a\u043e\u043c \u0433\u0430\u043b\u0441\u0442\u0443\u043a\u0435<\/em>)<em> <\/em>by Elena Malisova and Katerina Silvanova. Before bringing the charges, law enforcement officers gathered evidence about the distribution of \u2018LGBT literature.\u2019<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>On 8 July 2025, the court extended the house arrest of the three defendants until 13 November 2025. If convicted, they face up to 12 years\u2019 imprisonment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Why do we consider Dmitry Protopopov, Artyom Vakhlyaev and Pavel Ivanov political prisoners?<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>We consider the decision of the Supreme Court, designating the non-existent \u2018International Non-Governmental LGBT Movement\u2019 as extremist, as unlawful. Human rights defenders have previously pointed out that this decision paves the way for prosecutions of LGBTQ+ activists and organisations defending LGBTQ+ people.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>There is no evidence of a crime in the actions of Dmitry Protopopov, Artyom Vakhlyaev and Pavel Ivanov. The publishing house\u2019s employees were engaged in legitimate activities within the scope of their professional duties.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>According to the investigative authorities, persons who read books about LGBTQ+ people may become participants in the extremist \u2018International LGBT Movement\u2019. We consider this position of the investigators unfounded and absurd. Publishing and selling books do not, and cannot, have anything to do with the activities of this non-existent organisation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A detailed description of the case of Dmitry Protopopov, Artyom Vakhlyaev and Pavel Ivanov and of our position is available on our <a href=\"https:\/\/memopzk.org\/dossier\/delo-izdatelej\/\">website<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Recognition of an individual as a political prisoner does not imply the \u2018Political Prisoners. Memorial\u2019 human rights project agrees with, or approves, their views, statements, or actions.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>How can you help?<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>You <a href=\"https:\/\/memopzk.org\/en\/donate\/\">can donate<\/a> to help all political prisoners in Russia.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":0,"template":"","class_list":["post-56932","news","type-news","status-publish","hentry","regions-moscow","news-type-nashi-novosti-en"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v25.5 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Dmitry Protopopov, Artyom Vakhlyaev and Pavel Ivanov are political prisoners - Political prisoners support. 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