Russian court action targets a music channel over a dance video
A Moscow court, Basmanny, issued a fine of one million rubles against TNT Music, a channel linked to Fonbet TV, after a video showed men dancing in bikinis and applying makeup. The case was first reported by the Telegram channel Attention, news, and the official reasoning behind the decision appeared later.
The court’s ruling centers on the belief that the video promoted LGBT themes, which are treated as extremist content in Russia. The ruling notes that the material was released by DJ Regard in collaboration with the Years & Years group and was released with a 16+ age restriction. Experts concluded that the footage should be restricted for viewers under 18 because it portrayed non-traditional relationships and included moments depicting sexual interaction between men.
The case references a VEVO label restriction, which prevents the video from being viewed on the YouTube platform within Russia.
In related developments, there were discussions about a new novel by Russian author Vladimir Sorokin, with requests to examine it for LGBT propaganda.
Earlier, Roskomnadzor (RKN) reported that since December 2022 the authority had issued multiple administrative protocols related to online cinema content. Specifically, it noted 52 protocols connected to showing LGBT content to minors and two protocols concerning propaganda of such content. These actions illustrate ongoing regulatory efforts to police media content in the country. [Attribution: Roskomnadzor statements and court documents]