A Russian man accused of running a travel agency catering to gay customers has been found dead in custody, the rights group OVD-Info reported on Sunday. This comes amid an escalating crackdown on LGBTQ+ rights in Russia.
Andrei Kotov, the director of the travel agency “Men Travel,” was arrested on charges of “organising extremist activity and participating in it,” according to OVD-Info, a group that monitors political arrests.
Kotov’s lawyer was informed by investigators that he had died by suicide early Sunday while in pretrial detention, with his body discovered in his cell.
Earlier this month, Mediazona, an independent news outlet, reported that Kotov denied the charges against him. In court, he claimed law enforcement officers beat him and used electric shocks during his arrest, despite his lack of resistance.
The case unfolds against the backdrop of increasing legal and public pressure on the LGBTQ+ community in Russia. In late 2022, the Russian Supreme Court labelled the “international LGBT movement” as extremist, effectively criminalising any activism or association with LGBTQ+ rights. This ruling has exposed individuals to prosecution and imprisonment, creating an environment of fear and suppression.
The LGBTQ+ community in Russia has faced heightened persecution over the past decade, exacerbated since the Kremlin’s military involvement in Ukraine began in 2022. President Vladimir Putin has characterised the conflict as a proxy war with the West, which he accuses of attempting to undermine Russia’s “traditional family values” through the promotion of LGBTQ+ rights.
