Former Popcorn Books Sales Director Sentenced to Four Years Suspended in “LGBT Extremism” Case

Former Popcorn Books sales director Popcorn Books was sentenced to 4 years suspended in an “LGBT extremism” case

The case was heard in one day. Ivanov pleaded guilty, entered into a plea agreement with investigators, and gave testimony against other defendants in the case.

In court, he said that he repented and had wanted to go to the “special military operation.” In his final statement, Ivanov also said that he was ready to help investigators catch other accused people.

“I considered it my civic duty to testify against people who were and are engaged in anti-state activity,” Ivanov stated in court.

▶️ What Pavel Ivanov was tried for

Pavel Ivanov was detained in spring 2025 together with other employees of the Popcorn Books and Individuum publishing houses. According to investigators, after the Supreme Court’s decision banning the “LGBT movement,” the defendants organized the sale of books remaining in warehouses.

The case against the publishing house employees became one of the first criminal prosecutions directly connected to the Supreme Court’s decision recognizing the nonexistent “international LGBT movement” as an “extremist” organization.

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