Andrei Kotov, a travel agent who was arrested for violating the ban on “LGBT propaganda” in Russia, has been found dead in his cell in Moscow where he awaited trial for “extremism charges”.
The body of Kotov, who was accused of arranging ‘gay tours’ in Russia and abroad, was allegedly found with signs of suicide. His death was confirmed by his lawyer Leysan Mannapova, as well as Eva Merkachyova, a member of the Human Rights Council.
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 centre 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.”
Kotov was arrested in late November. According to the Moscow court system, police believed Kotov was organising tours that involved “propaganda of the ideology of the LGBT movement.”
Kotov denied any wrongdoing and accused police of torture. “My phones have photos and videos of participants going to museums, sailing on a motorboat and sunbathing. It is perfectly clear that these were ordinary tours. There was no propaganda of any kind, let alone extremism,” Kotov said shortly after his arrest.
Throughout 2024, Russian police raided multiple gay bars, clubs and “LGBTQ+ gatherings”. In March, a court in Orenburg, city near the border with Kazakhstan, ordered the arrest of a manager and an art director of local gay nightclub, Pose.
Althought homosexuality itself is not banned in Russia, courts and law enforcement have broad discretion in defining what constitutes “propaganda” of same-sex relations.
