The General Prosecutor’s Office of the Russian Federation has declared Elton John’s charitable organizations, which support people with HIV, as undesirable. This applies to the Elton John AIDS Foundation, established in the early 1990s.
Representatives of the agency claim that the activities of these organizations are allegedly aimed at promoting non-traditional relationships, Western views on family values, and gender transition, rather than combating the AIDS epidemic, as stated in their mission. Additionally, the prosecutor’s office asserts that Elton John’s foundation collaborates with Russian NGOs that have been designated as “foreign agents.”
According to representatives of the General Prosecutor’s Office, these organizations hold a negative stance toward “countries that uphold traditional values” and, after Russia’s large-scale attack on Ukraine, have been “actively participating in the West’s information campaign against Russia.”
After the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the foundation allocated more than $4 million to support humanitarian programs and aid people living with HIV in Ukraine.
The law on undesirable organizations has been in effect in Russia for 10 years. Organizations included in this list are prohibited from operating within the country. Citizens who cooperate with them face fines, and repeated violations can result in penalties of up to four years in prison.