Andrei Kotov, 40, is alleged to have organised travel tours for people who identify as any of LGBTQ in Russia and was being held at a detention center in Moscow, Russia
A Russian man accused of setting up a LGBTQ travel agency has been found dead in custody.
Andrei Kotov was awaiting trial for allegedly organising travel tours for people who identify as any of LGBTQ, something the Kremlin describes as an “extremist” activity.
The 40-year-old entrepreneur, director of Men Travel, became a victim of the broad crackdown on anyone deemed not to have a lifestyle that aligns with Vladimir Putin’s “traditional values”.
And now reports claim Mr Kotov has killed himself in the pre-trial detention center in Moscow. A human rights group called OVD-Info also say Mr Kotov was beaten during his arrest last month.
A source said today: “Kotov was found dead. The preliminary cause of death is suicide. An investigation is underway into the incident.” Eva Merkacheva, a member of the Council for the Development of Civil Society and Human Rights (HRC) under the President of the Russian Federation, also confirmed Mr Kotov was discovered dead in his cell in the early hours of this morning.
State media published a video last month of Mr Kotov being questioned on the floor by security officers. Russia, for years an inhospitable environment for the LGBTQ community, earlier this year included the “LGBT movement” into a list of banned extremist groups.
Russia has led a massive crackdown on dissent during its Ukraine offensive and has also accelerated a long-standing crackdown on the LGBTQ community, as it takes an increasingly social conservative turn.
The nation already faces stern criticism this week amid allegations air defences “shot down” the doomed Azerbaijan Airlines plane which crashed on Christmas Day. Vladimir Putin yesterday called Azerbaijan president Ilham Aliyev to say sorry, reports claim.
A total of 38 passengers died in the crash in Aktau, Kazakhstan on Wednesday, after it was shot at over Grozny, its destination after a flight from Baku.
This is a breaking news story. Follow us on Google News, Flipboard, Apple News, Twitter, Facebook or visit The Mirror homepage.
