A Russian man, arrested for allegedly organizing travel for LGBT individuals, has died in his cell, according to Baza, an independent Russian news outlet operating from abroad. The deceased is 48-year-old Andrei Kotov, the director of Men Travel, a travel agency.
He was held in a Moscow detention center awaiting trial. Kotov was arrested a month ago for “organizing and participating in extremist activities,” as reported by state media.
The state news agency Tass indicated that he was suspected of organizing a trip to Egypt for “supporters of non-traditional sexual values.” OVD-Info, a Russian human rights organization focused on combating political persecution, reported that Kotov’s lawyer informed them that Kotov had committed suicide in his cell. Kotov was found early in the morning.
Sources told Baza that his body was discovered bloodied by prison guards. The independent Russian news outlet Mediazona previously reported that Kotov denied the charges, claiming in court that he was mistreated during his arrest.
On the day of the arrest, Russian police raided various bars and nightclubs under a law criminalizing “LGBT propaganda.” Social media circulated images of officers ordering partygoers to lie on the floor at the popular gay club Mono in Moscow. President Putin has long positioned himself as a defender of traditional Russian values.
Since the invasion of Ukraine, the Kremlin has intensified its conservative and anti-LGBT rhetoric. State media portray the war as a struggle against the West and Western values.
In November 2023, the Russian Supreme Court passed a law designating the “international LGBT movement” as extremist, banning all activities in Russia, placing it on the same list as al-Qaida, IS, and Navalny’s anti-corruption organization.
Source: NOS