Pornography Charges Target Feminist Artist

Yulia Tsvetkova is a 27-year-old artist from the city of Komsomolsk-on-Amur (far Eastern Russia). Yulia has been formally charged with illegally producing and distributing pornographic materials on the Internet (Paragraph “b”, Part 3 of Article 242 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation, punishable by up to six years of prison). These charges stem from her role as administrator of a feminist body-positive online community through social media. The page is called “The Vagina Monologues,” and features abstract depictions of female sexual organs and educational drawings of women’s bodies. Until recently, she was also the director of the Merak activist youth theater, which produced 9 plays under her direction.

In July 2020, Tsvetkova was charged a second time for the same drawing depicting four adults with children under the heading “Family is where there is Love.” This charge falls under an article on the promotion of non-traditional sexual relations among minors (part 2 of article 6.21 of the Code of Administrative Offenses), also known as the “LGBT Propaganda” law.

Yulia was arrested on November 20, 2019 after which searches were carried out at home and at work. She was under house arrest from November 23, 2019 until March 16, 2020. She and her mother have been questioned over 30 times. While under house arrest, Yulia was denied access to necessary medical care. She and her mother have experienced months of harassment and death threats.

It is worth noting that the criminal investigation against Yulia was not the result of any complaints from youth or parents in her local community. Rather, she was targeted by St. Petersburg-based homophobic activist Timur Bulatov, who has a past criminal record and in his own words is engaged in a “moral jihad” against LGBT people and their allies by making complaints about them to law enforcement agencies. Bulatov has continued to harass Yulia and her mother, publish their home address, and call on his supporters to kill them.

According the Coalition to Free the Kremlin’s Political Prisoners, “art materials in Tsvetkova’s case cannot be recognized as pornographic. From our point of view and based on expertise of various experts who have examined the works, these materials are no more pornography than images of the genitals in the school anatomy textbook.” International human rights organizations have called for her release, and many individuals around the world are demonstrating on her behalf.

Yulia’s case is expected to be tried in early July 2020. There is an urgent need for publicity of her case. All charges against Yulia Tsvetkova should be dropped and her case dismissed immediately. Find out how to help.

The threat to Yulia IS VERY REAL. As absurd as this case seems, she is in a very dangerous situation and faces violence, persecution, and many years in prison. This case must be closed now.

Take Action

1. DONATE to Yulia’s Defense Fund

2. SIGN THE PETITION to free Yulia [CHANGE.ORG]

3. SIGN THE PETITION  against the “LGBT+ Propaganda” charges [ALL OUT]

4. Are you an artist whose work has been shown in Russia? Have you performed or toured in Russia? SIGN THIS PETITION and join the community of artists whose work has benefited from support of Russian audiences and cultural institutions.

5. SPREAD THE WORD. MAKE POSTS, SHARE, PUBLICIZE Yulia’s case. Yulia and her mother believe that publicity about their case will help them. Please share this information far and wide, especially with media outlets. When making posts on social media, use hashtags:

   #заЮлю

   #ямыЮлияЦветкова

   #свободуюлецветковой

   #свободуцветковой

Social Links (Russian)

• Telegram Channel dedicated to news about Yulia (Russian) https://t.me/wearejulia

• Facebook Page “Дело Цветковой” (Tsvetkova Case)

• Twitter: #заЮлю, #ямыЮлияЦветкова, #свободуюлецветковой, #свободуцветковой

Judge for yourself: Yulia’s Art

The Vagina Monologues Site on the Russian Social Media Site Vkontakte (probably requires you to sign up for Vkontakte)

Video of Merak Activist Children’s Theater show about gender stereotypes, entitled “Pink People and Blue People” (English subtitles coming)

Artists and Cultural Workers Respond

Moscow Art Exhibition “Real Women Have…” in support of Yulia Tsvetkova (VIDEO)

Moscow Exhibition “Real Women Have…” (Article + Photos, Russian)

Yulia Tsvetkova Solidarity Walks—Russia (VIDEO)

Yulia Tsvetkova Solidarity Walk—Berlin (VIDEO)

Yulia Tsvetkova is the 2020 Index on Censorship Freedom of Expression Awards Arts Fellow