Russian police have conducted raids on LGBT-friendly clubs and saunas in Moscow, the Caution, News site reported on its Telegram channel.
The overnight raids came just one day after the Supreme Court of Russia declared "the international LGBT social movement" -- which legally does not exist -- as extremist and banned all its activities effective immediately in a closed-doors ruling at the Justice Ministry's on November 30.
One of the clubs raided by the police under the pretext of searching for drugs hosted a party for the LGBT community attended by about 300 people.
The police checked the attendees’ documents and photographed their ID cards before releasing them.
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Anger, Despair After Russia's Supreme Court Outlaws 'LGBT Movement'
Similar raids took place in at least two more Moscow nightclubs, a bar, and a sauna under the same pretext of searching for drugs.
Although no drugs were found, masked police officers searching the sauna made everyone lie on the floor face-down, Caution, Moscow quoted witnesses as saying.
In Russia’s second-largest city, St. Petersburg, the Central Station gay club was closed down.
“The site we rented refused to allow us to work because of the [new] law. We apologize, we are no longer in business,” the club said on the VKontakte social media site.
The raids came as it remains unclear what or whom the new regulation will affect given that no LGBT social movement is even registered in Russia.
Authorities claim the alleged LGBT movement is, among other things, stirring social and religious unrest.
SEE ALSO: 'Shameful And Absurd': Russian Supreme Court Declares LGBT 'Movement' ExtremistActivists and rights defenders have warned the newly adopted legislation 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.
On December 1, the human rights initiative LGBT+ Cause announced that it was ending its Russia operation following the Supreme Court's ruling.
"Due to external circumstances, we are forced to announce the self-dissolution of our initiative and, accordingly, the cessation of activities" in Russia, LGBT+ Cause said on Telegram.
LGBT+ Cause has been active in protect the rights of people discriminated against on the basis of their sexual orientation and gender identity.