The Russian Investigative Committee has released its pledge to appear before the General Director of Exmo, Yevgeny Kabaev, and three other senior managers of the publishing house, who were previously arrested in a “extremism” case for selling queer literature. TASS was first to report this on April 23, citing law enforcement agencies.
To the publishing house “Exmo” I mentioned RBC said that Eksmo’s senior managers were released without charges, and their procedural status has not been determined,
The TASS interviewer said that senior managers will have to appear before investigators again for questioning on April 24.
Eksmo’s top managers, including general director of the publishing house Evgeniy Kapyev and deputy editor-in-chief of literature Yulia Sokolovskaya, were detained for questioning on April 21. TASS claimed that employees of Popcorn Books and Individuum, who were arrested in a case of selling queer literature in 2025, testified against them. The Investigative Committee was going to go to court to determine a preventive measure for Eksmo’s top managers, but it did not do so.
A criminal case for “radicalization” of queer literature was opened in 2025 against employees of publishing houses Popcorn Books and Individuum. Several people were placed under house arrest. Popcorn Books announced it will close in early 2026.