A Russian man accused of operating a travel agency catering to gay customers was found dead in custody in Moscow, the rights group OVD-Info reported Sunday. The incident comes amid intensified repression of LGBTQ rights in Russia.
Andrei Kotov, director of the “Men Travel” agency, faced charges of “organizing extremist activity and participating in it,” according to OVD-Info, which monitors political arrests.
Kotov’s lawyer was informed by an investigator that Kotov had died by suicide early Sunday while in pretrial detention. He was reportedly found in his cell, the rights group said.
Kotov had denied the charges against him, according to independent news outlet Mediazona, and alleged in court that law enforcement officers beat him and used electric shocks during his arrest, despite his lack of resistance.
The charges against Kotov came more than a year after Russia’s Supreme Court declared the “international LGBT movement” an extremist organization. The ruling effectively criminalized LGBTQ activism, exposing individuals and organizations to prosecution and imprisonment, and has created a climate of fear for the community.
The LGBTQ community in Russia has faced increasing pressure over the past decade, particularly since the Kremlin’s military invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Russian President Vladimir Putin has framed the conflict as a confrontation with Western countries, accusing them of undermining Russia’s “traditional family values” by promoting LGBTQ rights.
Kotov’s death adds to growing concerns over the treatment of LGBTQ individuals and activists in Russia, where legal and societal restrictions continue to intensify. Authorities have not commented on the circumstances of his death or the allegations of abuse during his arrest.
