A Russian man arrested for allegedly running a travel agency for gay clients has been found dead in a Moscow prison, rights group OVD-Info reported Sunday, amid a crackdown on LGBTQ+ rights in Russia.
According to OVD-Informationwhich monitors political arrests, Andrei Kotov, the director of the “Man Travel” agency, was accused of “organizing and participating in extremist activities.”
OVD-Info reported that the investigator told Kotov's lawyer that her client committed suicide on Sunday while in the pre-trial detention center and was found dead in his cell.
Ahead of Kotav's death, the independent media outlet Mediazona reported earlier this month that Kotav denied the charges and told a court that law enforcement officers beat him and used stun guns during his detention, even though he did not resist.
A little over a year ago, Russia's Supreme Court effectively banned all LGBTQ+ activism in a ruling that declared the “international LGBT movement” extremist. According to Human Rights Watch, the court accused the “LGBT movement” of inciting social and religious discord. This move has subjected all members of or associated with 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 to Ukraine in 2022. Russian leader Vladimir Putin has claimed the war is a proxy battle with the West, which he says is aimed at destroying Russia and its “traditional family values” while pushing for LGBTQ+ rights.
last month, Putin signed the law a bill that prohibits the adoption of Russian children by citizens of countries where gender reassignment is legal.
In 2022 legislation was adopted by the lower house of the legislative assembly of Russia, which prohibits the so-called “promotion of non-traditional sexual relations” for both adults and minors.