Statements from International Human Rights Organizations:

16-April-2020 Index on Censorship: Yulia Tsvetkova is the 2020 Index on Censorship Freedom of Expression Awards Arts Fellow

Yulia Tsvetkova is a Russian artist and activist promoting women’s well-being and LGBTQ awareness. Her work has brought about positive change in discussions towards body positivity and gender stereotypes, however this acclaim has made her a target. “The award pretty much reminds me that not everything is that bad. That there are still people who believe that [what I do] is important. For me, it changes pretty much everything. So thank you.” 

10-March-2020 Norwegian Helsinki Committee: Urgent call for release of Prisoner of Conscience Yulia Tsvetkova!

The Norwegian Helsinki Committee, together with 9 other organizations from Norway, Sweden, Denmark and Belgium have issued a joint statement asking that all charges be dropped and for Yulia to be released from her house arrest. We have issued this statement because of the gravity of the situation. We fear Yulia will face a long prison sentence for simply exercising her right to freedom of expression, Skouen explains. – She has faced harassment and obstruction to her work on several occasions, both by the authorities and hate groups.

13-February-2020 Amnesty International: URGENT ACTION: RUSSIAN FEDERATION: LGBTI AND WOMEN'S RIGHTS ACTIVIST UNDER ARREST: YULIA TSVETKOVA

“Russian activist and artist, Yulia Tsvetkova, is facing prosecution and harassment for defending women’s and LGBTI rights. She has been under house arrest since 22 November, under absurd charges of “production and dissemination of pornography” for her drawings of the female body. She is facing up to six years in prison if convicted. Yulia Tsvetkova is a prisoner of conscience and must be immediately and unconditionally released.” MORE

21-February-2020 Statement from Coalition to Free the Kremlin’s Political Prisoners

“We believe that the criminal prosecution of Julia Tsvetkova was caused by her social activities and an active feminist position. She promotes her views as an activist and a contemporary artist via absolutely legal methods. At the same time, her persecution fits into the context of a government campaign of the ‘protection of traditional values,’ used, among other things, to secure the regime’s hold on political power in Russia. The criminal prosecution of Tsvetkova was preceded by an intimidation campaign against the artist and her mother and an extended scrutiny (from February until November 2019) of all her online and offline projects by law enforcement. All this indicates trumped up nature of the charges and the obvious political motivation for the prosecution.” MORE

3-December-2019 Human Rights Watch: Russian Activist Faces Unfounded Pornography Charges

“A Russian feminist and LGBT activist is under house arrest for allegedly distributing pornography. It’s yet another example of Russia using unfounded accusations and vague laws to intimidate certain activists. Yulia Tsvetkova, 26, is from Russia’s far east region of Khabarovsk. Neither her mother nor lawyer know the factual basis for the criminal accusation, but if prosecuted and convicted, Yulia faces up to six years in prison.” MORE

16-January-2020 PEN America: CHARGES MUST BE DROPPED AGAINST RUSSIAN ARTIST AND ACTIVIST

“A Russian artist, theater director, and feminist activist may face up to six years in prison after sharing artwork on social media that promoted body positivity and LGBTQIA+ inclusivity. Yulia Tsvetkova was fined 50,000 rubles (US$ 780) for disseminating “propaganda of nontraditional sexual relations among minors” and faces up to six years in prison for pornography charges. The charges are a reprehensible violation of artistic freedom and part of an on-going attack against LGBTQIA+ activists in Russia, PEN America said today.” MORE

5-December-2019 International Theater Institute Action Committee for Artists Rights: Russia: Theatre Director Yulia Tsvetkova Arrested and Charged for “Gay Propaganda”

“Authorities in Komsomolsk-on-Amur, Far East Russia, have charged Yulia Tsvetkova (26) with distributing “gay propaganda” to minors. The theatre artists and director of the children and youth theatre “Merak” is a feminist and LGBT activist. She was running a social media page called “Vagina Monologues” (related to the play by US author Eve Ensler), which encourages people to share artistic depictions of vaginas in order to “remove the taboo” around menstruation and the anatomy of the vagina. In March she organized a children and youth theatre festival “Blue and Pink”, focusing on gender stereotypes. The festival was banned by the city authorities and Yulia Tsvetkova was interrogated for four hours.” MORE

7-July-2020 DW.com: Russia: Feminist activist could face prison for vagina drawings Yulia Tsvetkova faces charges of "spreading pornography" for artwork promoting body positivity, including for posting vagina drawings on social media. Her case has sparked a wave of support among activists and artists.

7-July-2020 Meduza.io: Russian LGBTQ activist faces ‘gay propaganda’ charges for the third time

6-July-2020 Moscow Times: LGBT Activist Charged With Pornography for Body-Positive Vagina Drawings

5-July-2020 CNN: In Russia, portraying women's bodies can get you arrested

1-July-2020 Ifex.org: Russia: Dozens detained for peacefully protesting prosecution of feminist blogger

30-June-2020 Calvert Journal: Russia’s most esteemed director has escaped jail time. But what comes next for Russian artists?

27-June-2020 The Guardian: Over 30 protesters arrested in Moscow for supporting LGBT activist – rights group. One-person protests sparked by charges against woman for ‘spreading pornography’

25-June-2020 The Art Newspaper: Culture crackdown ahead of Putin's referendum Artist Pyotr Verzilov was sentenced to 15 days in prison for "petty hooliganism" in latest clampdown on the arts in Russia

24-June-2020 Hyperallergic: Queer, Feminist Art Is Still a Crime In Russia. Leading up to the July 1 election — which would allow Vladimir Putin to remain president through 2036 — queer people have been disturbingly targeted.

12-June-2020 Calvert Journal: Activists speak out about Russian artist Yulia Tsvetkova’s prosecution for feminist drawings

10-June-2020 Moscow Times: LGBT Activist Charged With Pornography for Body-Positive Vagina Drawings Authorities in Far East Russia charged an LGBT rights activist with distributing pornography for posting drawings of vaginas on social media, the activist told Russian media Tuesday. Tsvetkova faces up to six years in jail for posting the images on her page dedicated to body positivity that she said she maintains as a hobby.

9-June-2020 Meduza.io: Russian LGBTQ activist charged with distributing pornography The Russian Investigative Committee has charged artist and LGBTQ rights activist Yulia Tsvetkova with the criminal distribution of pornography. She could now face up to six years in prison.

13-February-2020 Yulia Tsvetkova Shortlisted for Arts Category in Index on Censorship's 2020 Freedom of Expression Awards “Yulia Tsvetkova is a Russian artist and activist promoting women’s well-being and LGBTQ awareness. Her work has brought about positive change in discussions towards body positivity and gender stereotypes in Russia. However, this acclaim has made her a target.” MORE

14-January-2020 Hyperallergic: Russian Artist Faces Six Years in Jail for Pro-LGBTQ Social Media Posts . Like many people around the world, Yulia Tsvetkova found community on social media. From the Russian Far East, the artist shared feminist and LGBTQ-friendly art to two social media pages. Now, the 26-year-old theater director faces six years in prison and was fined 50,000 rubles (roughly $780 in the States), put under two-months of house arrest, and charged with distributing “propaganda of non-traditional sexual relations among minors,” despite both of the pages she managed being designated for adults.” MORE

12-December-2019 RadioFreeEurope/RadioLiberty: 'Craziest Persecution': Feminist Activist In Russia Faces Six Years In Prison On Pornography Charge . ‘The craziest persecution is going on now,’ Tsvetkova’s mother, Anna Khodyryeva, told RFE/RL in a telephone interview about her daughter, who has been charged with distributing pornography. ‘In local online forums and in the comments sections, people are writing that we should be killed or crucified. Yulia is afraid for my life whenever I go out.’ MORE

20-November-2019 Meduza.io /The Real Russia. Today: Russian feminist activist faces porn charges for running Vagina Monologues art group on social media . Then, police searched Tsvetkova’s apartment and the children’s studio where she had previously worked. The officers seized technological devices, papers, and brochures on various topics in gender and sexuality. ‘Nine officers were walking around examining all the pencils and the children’s scrapbooks. Among other things, they said I was a lesbian and a sex trainer who distributes propaganda. That has no basis in reality,’ Tsvetkova told OVD-Info.” MORE

25-December-2019 Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty: Russian LGBT Activist Faces Prison Time Over Social-Media Pages. Yulia Tsvetkova, an artist and activist in Russia's Far East, runs social-media pages focusing on women's art and LGBT issues. Her posts prompted officials to charge her with “propaganda of nontraditional sexual relations among minors” and distributing pornography, an offense for which she could face years in prison.” MORE

18-January-2016 Los Angeles Times: Activists turn tolerant St. Petersburg into homophobic city . Timur Bulatov calls himself a ‘homophobic wolf,’ and last summer he found his prey. Taking a cue from President Vladimir Putin, who has whipped up anti-Western sentiments to advance a nationalist agenda and boost his domestic approval ratings during an economic crisis, they often frame their stance as defending the country against foreign values. Bulatov, 40, lumps homosexuality with pedophilia as part of a “disease” deliberately spread to children and teens by Western-funded books, websites and even cartoons.” MORE