Russia is continuing to clamp down on LGBT communities by declaring community organisations “extremist groups” and tackling publishing companies and broadcasters who allow any depiction of queer life.

The Moscow Community Center for LGBT+ Initiatives, and health and community website ParniPlus, have both vowed to continue their work despite the government officially listing them as extremist groups.

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Over a number of years the Russian government has brought in a series of vaguely worded laws that critics say are designed to clamp down on LGBTIQA+ communities. These include a ban on any public depiction of homosexuality, arguing that it is a danger to both children and adults, and the formal listing of LGBT ideology as an international terrorist movement.

“We ​view this as yet another step toward ​criminalizing LGBTQ visibility, independent journalism, and any public solidarity with the community in Russia,” ParniPlus said ​in an online statement.

Also this week Russian publisher Eksmo said authorities had questioned a number of their staff over titles in their collection.

Those taken into custody were CEO Yevgeny Kapyev, Finance Director Svetlana Tsyplyaeva, Deputy Editor-in-Chief for Literature Yulia Sokolovskaya, and Distribution Director Anatoly Norovyatkin. Authorities were concerned over a book series by authors Elena Malisova and Kateryna Sylvanova.

The questioning stems from an earlier case where an imprint of the publisher offered two books that included lesbian characters. The novel which is the focus of the investigation, which is published in an English translation as Pioneer Summer, tells the story of a relationship between a Soviet Young Pioneer and a counselor at a children’s camp in the mid-1980s. A sequel What the Swallow Is Silent About picks up the relationship of the characters two decades later.

The publishing house says it only became the publisher of the books after they bought out a smaller company Popcorn Books that published a variety of youth focused titles. They’ve since closed down the sub-brand.

Since implementing the new laws Russian authorities have targeted bars where LGBT people congregate, and have also arrested people for wearing clothing or jewelry that has been interpreted as being symbolism of the LGBT movement.