Russia has banned the Elton John AIDS Foundation, accusing it of taking a negative stance towards countries like Russia and claiming the charity undermines “traditional spiritual and moral values”.
Russia's general prosecutor said the ban applied specifically to two non-governmental organisations, one registered in the US and the other in Britain, both called the Elton John AIDS Foundation.
“When a musician plays along with the promoters of democracy, you get propaganda. And if Elton John is at the piano, it is not just anti-Russian propaganda,” the Russian general prosecutor’s office said in a statement on its official Telegram channel.
“The NGOs actively participate in an information campaign orchestrated by the ‘collective West’ to discredit traditional values and escalate social tensions,” it added.
In a separate statement on its website, the prosecutor’s office complained about the foundation’s promotion of “non-traditional sexual relationships, Western family models, and gender reassignment”.
Without citing examples, the statement accused the foundation of taking part in what it called a Western campaign to “denigrate Russia” over its war in Ukraine, something the prosecutor called a “special military operation”.
The Elton John AIDS Foundation said it was "devastated" by the decision, which it said would prevent it from providing lifesaving care to people living with HIV in Russia.
"For more than two decades, we have worked in collaboration with federal and non-governmental partners in Russia to provide hundreds of thousands of people with vital HIV services, including testing, treatment, and care," it said in a statement.
“This work is urgent: in 2024, there were over 1.2 million people living with HIV in Russia, with over 430,000 not receiving treatment. Today’s decision by the Russian Federation will undoubtedly endanger lives and disrupt critical HIV prevention efforts for ordinary Russian citizens. At a time when we have the tools and knowledge to defeat HIV, it is heartbreaking to be unable to support them.”
The statement added: “Despite this setback, we will continue our work across Eastern Europe and Central Asia, where the Foundation is the largest philanthropic HIV/AIDS funder.”
In a mission statement on its website, the Elton John AIDS Foundation said it had raised more than $600 million to support over 3,100 projects in 95 countries globally to increase access to health care, tackle LGBTQ+ stigma, and end AIDS.
Sir Elton has sold out concerts in Russia several times in the past and in 2014 published an open letter condemning the country’s “vicious” anti-gay legislation, while offering to introduce Russian President Vladimir Putin to LGBT communities.
On his side, Putin has encouraged women to have at least three children to battle a birth rate dip, and a 2022 law widened a ban on “LGBT propaganda” to effectively prohibit any public expressions regarding homosexuality.
