Former publishing employee who helped release LGBTQ books in Russia called himself a 'lifelong hunter of perverts' in court, gets suspended sentence
Pavel Ivanov, former sales director of Popcorn Books who cooperated with investigators and testified against co-defendants in the 'book publishers' case,' told the court he had fought 'perverts' his whole life and received a four-year suspended sentence.
In May 2025, three employees of the young adult publisher Popcorn Books were detained in Moscow on charges related to distributing LGBT literature, specifically the novel “Leto v pionerskom galstuke.” They were accused of organizing and participating in an “extremist organization.”
One of the defendants, former sales director Pavel Ivanov, struck a deal with investigators and testified against others. His trial took place in June 2026 and concluded in a single day. During closing arguments, Ivanov expressed regret, calling his actions a “great disgrace.” He said he had fought against “perverts” his entire life, dating back to Soviet times when he caught such people as a member of a Komsomol patrol.
Ivanov testified that he worked at Popcorn Books from 2016 under editor-in-chief Satenik Anastasyan, whom he described as a “committed feminist” seeking provocative topics. He said he warned colleagues before a December 2022 law banning “nontraditional sexual relations” that all their titles would be outlawed. After the law took effect, employees continued working with LGBTQ-themed books to meet sales targets set by parent company Eksmo.
According to Ivanov, Eksmo CEO Yevgeny Kapyev suggested selling the books in Kazakhstan, where LGBT content is not banned. Ivanov believed the books could then re-enter Russia via online marketplaces. He stated that commercial interest, not public education, drove management’s decisions.
Ivanov left Popcorn Books in October 2024, believing its activities were illegal. In court, he said he gave truthful testimony about people engaged in “anti-government activity” and had previously asked the State Duma to impose censorship on book publishing. He also stated his support for Putin, participation in a religious procession, and a desire to go to the front, which a heart attack prevented.
On June 25, 2026, the Zamoskvoretsky District Court in Moscow sentenced Ivanov to four years in prison, suspended. The maximum sentences for the charges are six and eight years. The cases of the other two defendants, Dmitry Protopopov and Artyom Vakhlyaev, have not yet gone to trial.
