Story highlights Images of Vladimir Putin in makeup have been shared online since 2011

Prison and fine among punishments for those distributing, retweeting or sharing images

Moscow (CNN) It is now illegal in Russia to distribute any images that depict President Vladimir Putin wearing makeup and implying he is gay.

The Justice Ministry in Moscow has included one of them among a registry of "extremist materials," along with others such as anti-Semitic and racist pictures and slogans.

The punishment for offenders who distribute, retweet or share the image is 15 days in prison or a fine of 3,000 rubles ($53).

Protesters have used such images of Putin to oppose Russia's anti-gay laws.

Images of Putin, often with rouged cheeks and eye shadow, have been online since 2011 -- and have had much wider circulation since 2013 in protest over what became known as Russia's gay propaganda law. They are widely known online as the "gay clown" meme -- although not all the images resemble clowns.

The law, which describes homosexuality as "non-traditional sexual relations," bars the public discussion of gay rights and relationships anywhere children might hear it. It has been fiercely opposed by gay rights groups in Russia and beyond as well as by other human rights groups and the political opposition in Russia.

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