Russia's Supreme Court has ruled that the LGBT "movement" is "extremist," sparking a global outcry over fears the designation will allow the country to ratchet up its crackdown on gay and transgender people.
After a closed-door hearing, the court on November 30 said it had approved a Justice Ministry request to label the "international LGBT social movement" as extremist, which bans its activities in the country.
SEE ALSO: A Supreme Court Case Strikes Fear In Russia's LGBT CommunityRussian human rights organizations had asked the Supreme Court to reject the ministry's request, saying that "it is impossible to call a group of people a 'social movement' simply because they belong to some social group, or because they are united by some personal characteristics."
The ruling is the latest in a series of blows to LGBT rights in Russia. President Vladimir Putin last year expanded the scope of a 2013 law banning the distribution of "gay propaganda" among children to include people of all ages.
"I call on the Russian authorities to repeal, immediately, laws that place improper restrictions on the work of human rights defenders or that discriminate against LGBT people," UN human rights chief Volker Turk said in a statement.
Amnesty International criticized the ruling, saying it will have "catastrophic" consequences and leaves "little if any doubt that it will lead to the persecution of LGBTI activists, undoing decades of their brave and dedicated work, while threatening to inspire and legitimize whole new levels of violence against LGBTI persons across Russia."
"This shameful and absurd decision represents a new front in the Russian authorities' campaign against the LGBTI community," Marie Struthers, director for Eastern Europe and Central Asia at Amnesty International, said in a statement.
"The ruling risks resulting in a blanket ban on LGBTI organizations with far-reaching violations of the rights to freedom of association, expression and peaceful assembly, as well as the right to be free from discrimination. It will affect countless people, and its repercussions are poised to be nothing short of catastrophic," she added while calling on Russian authorities to reconsider the ruling.
In addition to potential threats to close LGBT organizations and arrest gay and transgender people, activists say they fear the ruling will mean internationally recognized LGBT symbols such as the rainbow will be considered "extremist."
WATCH: Activists and rights defenders warn that the new ruling could lead to the blanket prosecution of not just activists but also those who seek shelter from homophobic violence under a threat of up to 10 years of imprisonment.
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'People Will Leave': Russian Court Proclaims Entire LGBT 'Movement' Extremist
Russian law forbids citizens and organizations from supporting or promoting an extremist organization, including displaying its symbol online or offline. Punishments range from fines and closures to jail time.
Experts say Putin is targeting LGBT and other minorities to appease his conservative base ahead of a presidential election in March.
Activists who spoke with RFE/RL in Moscow predicted that fear and insecurity will increase and people will leave Russia in greater numbers as a result.
"Those who stay for various reasons will not be able to feel safe -- even more so than before," one activist told Current Time, the Russian-language network run by RFE/RL in cooperation with VOA.
Another said that it will no longer be possible to continue work on a shelter for transgender people.
"Any opportunity I have to provide some kind of security for transgender [people] in Russia will lead to me putting myself in jeopardy and by extension the people who will live [in the shelter] with me," the activist said, adding that assistance to leave Russia will continue.