Russian Publishers Sentenced in LGBT Book Case; Industry in Turmoil

In May 2025, authorities in Moscow arrested ten individuals associated with Eksmo, the largest publishing house in Russia. Among them, three—Pavel Ivanov, Dmitry Protopopov, and Artyom Vakhlyaev—faced charges for 'organising activities of an extremist organisation' due to their distribution of LGBT-themed literature, including 'Pioneer Summer'. After admitting guilt, they were handed suspended sentences of four years. Ivanov conveyed his sorrow, mentioning he had 'been fighting this all my life'. The incident, referred to as the 'publishers' plot', has significantly disrupted Russia's literary sector. In 2024, Eksmo released Alexei Konakov's satirical work 'Tabia Thirty-Two', while last year, the government broadened its list of prohibited topics to include the 'international LGBT public movement'. Despite ongoing censorship, there remains a strong demand for uncensored literature. Eksmo employed AI technology to examine 20,000 books for banned content.