Russian man allegedly linked to gay travel agency found dead in custody

According to OVD-Info, which tracks political arrests, Andrei Kotov – the director of the “Men Travel” agency – was accused of “organizing and participating in extremist activities”.

OVD-Info said an investigator told Kotov’s lawyer that her client committed suicide early Sunday while in pretrial detention and was found dead in his cell.

Before Kotov’s death, independent media Mediazona reported earlier this month that Kotov had denied the charges and said in court that law enforcement officers beat him and administered electric shocks during his arrest, although he did not resist.

The report comes amid a crackdown on LGBTQ+ rights in Russia.

Just over a year ago, Russia’s Supreme Court outlawed all LGBTQ+ activism in a ruling that designated the “international LGBT movement” as extremist. The move exposed anyone in or connected to the community to prosecution and imprisonment, creating an atmosphere of fear and intimidation.

Russia’s LGBTQ+ community has been under legal and public pressure for over a decade, but especially since the Kremlin sent troops to Ukraine in 2022. Russian leader Vladimir Putin has argued that the war is a proxy battle with the West, which he says he is watching to destroy Russia and “traditional family values” by promoting LGBTQ+ rights.