A Russian man arrested for running a gay travel agency was found dead in custody in Moscow, rights group OVD-Info reported Sunday, amid a crackdown on LGBTQ rights in Russia.
According to OVD-Info, which monitors political arrests, Andrey Kutov – the director of the “Main Travel” agency – faced charges of “organizing and participating in extremist activities”.
OVD-Info said an investigator told Kotov’s lawyer that his client committed suicide on Sunday morning while he was in pretrial detention and was found dead in his cell.
Before Kotov’s death, independent media outlet MediaZona reported earlier this month that Kotov had denied the charges and said in court that law enforcement officers had beaten and electrocuted him during his arrest. , though he did not resist.
Just over a year ago, Russia’s Supreme Court effectively outlawed any LGBTQ activism in a ruling that called the “international LGBT movement” extremist. This move exposed any member of the community to criminal prosecution and imprisonment, creating an atmosphere of fear and intimidation.
The LGBTQ community in Russia has been under legal and public pressure for more than a decade, but especially since the Kremlin sent troops into Ukraine in 2022. Destroying Russia and its “traditional family values” by emphasizing LGBTQ rights.