Russian Book Publisher Facing Jail For Selling Banned LGBTQIA+ Books

The sales director of a Russian book publisher is facing a potential four year jail sentence over the sale of LGBTQIA+ books.

Prosecutors have requested the sentence for Artyom Vakhlyayev after admitting guilt in the case.

Vakhlyayev and his “co-conspirators” have spent over a year under house arrest awaiting their trial.

Artyom Vakhlyayev faces four years for sale of LGBTQIA+ Books

Artyom Vakhlyayev, Pavel Ivanov, and Dmitry Protopopov are accused of working together as part of an “organised group” to sell the LGBTQIA+ books which had been banned by the Russian government.

The case against Vakhlyayev is being heard in the Zamoskvoretsky District Court in Moscow, where he pleaded guilty and provided information against Ivanov and Protopopov.

It is alleged that once Russia banned what they deemed the “international LGBT movement” in December of 2023 that the group worked together to sell off books that had now become banned in the country. Prosecutors alleged that the trio were attempting to draw children into what they deemed “LGBT movement.”

During the time of the alleged crimes Artyom Vakhlyayev worked as the head of the sales department at the publishing house Eksmo, whilst Pavel Ivanov and Dmitry Protopopov served as the director and head of Popcorn Books and Individuum respectively.

Whilst Vakhlyayev did not directly give testimony in court, he had previously co-operated with investigators providing details of logistics and planning to sell the books which had previously been compiled under “banned book” lists.

Vakhlyayev alleges that a senior Eksmo-AST executive was part of the plan to reregister and illegally sell the books, naming other employees in the organisation who also took part in the operation.

Whilst prosecutors are still seeking a four year suspended sentence for Vakhlyayev they have already moved on Ivanov who has received the same sentence after also co-operating with investigators.

The case follows continuous moves against the LGBTQIA+ community in Russia with news last year indicating that The Russian Interior Ministry were preparing to create a database of all LGBTQIA+ citizens. In 2024 50 people were detained when Russian police raided local gay bars just months after the government banned foreign adoption countries that permit gender transitioning.