The journey company supplied excursions solely to males, and that was sufficient to draw the eye of police, making use of new Russian legal guidelines that restrict the rights of gays.
One night time in December, officers stormed the company’s condo and tied it, later he advised courtroom.
“Fifteen folks got here to my place at night time,” mentioned proprietor Andrei Kotov. “They beat me within the face, they kicked me and left bruises.” His feedback have been reported by the Russian media and confirmed by his lawyer.
Kotov mentioned that staff have been urgent him to “admit” that he was working a journey company geared toward gays, which he denied. The officers continued to beat him, he advised him, and advised him, “There aren’t any homosexual journeys.”
A couple of weeks later, Mr. Kotov, then 48, was discovered useless in his jail cell. Jail officers advised his mom that he had reduce a razor, mentioned his lawyer Lisan Manapova. The circumstances of his loss of life couldn’t be decided independently and the Russian staff didn’t reply to a request for remark.
The loss of life of G -N Kotov displays increasingly more ranked repression in Russia on the rights of LGBTQ individuals who have accelerated for the reason that starting of the struggle in Ukraine. President Vladimir V. Putin offered the brand new restrictions – and the struggle – as a part of a broader battle to take care of “Russian conventional values”.
In November 2023. The Supreme Court docket of Russia marked The Worldwide LGBTQ motion as an “extremist group” is equally with the likes of al -Qaeda or the Islamic State. In keeping with legal guidelines geared toward extremist teams, rights activists prison sentences of six to 10 yearsS
This led to a wave of repression in opposition to LGBTQ folks and teams, with police invading homosexual nightclubs and investigators geared toward bizarre Russians, based on members of the Neighborhood and groups Like Human Rights Watch.
Not less than 12 prison investigations on LGBTQ’s extremism prices have been initiated final yr, based on the Russian Ovd-Data Prisoners.
Dennis Olinik, CEO of Logging, which helps LGBTQ folks in Russia, mentioned the strain of the authorities initially centered on rights and activists.
“The repression now reaches bizarre folks, golf equipment, events – this has affected the group, which is able to earlier than even distance itself from the intercession for rights,” he mentioned.
Homosexuality was decriminalized Russia in 1993, inspiring a life homosexual scene that included celebrities who brazenly communicate of their sexuality and homosexual golf equipment. ThirdA pop band, whose two feminine members have been pretending to be a lesbian couple, kissing between songs, was even chosen by state tv to characterize Russia at worldwide competitions.
However in 2013, Putin opened a salot in opposition to gays when he signed a invoice that goes past the unfold of what he defines as “homosexual propaganda” – which features a materials that makes “unconventional relationships enticing” – for minors. In 2022, Russia launched fines to advertise Homosexual Propaganda.
Then got here the courtroom’s resolution in 2023, which led to the current repression.
After G -N Kotov, the vacationer agent, was arrested, he was additionally charged with producing sexual abuse of kids, however his lawyer was unable to look at instances of instances on this cost.
Throughout his listening to in December, an investigator advised the courtroom, with out giving additional particulars that the pictures on the cellphone of G -N -Kotov proved that he had dedicated a criminal offense “aimed on the constitutional order and safety of the state”.
A couple of weeks later, Mr. Kotov was useless.
Solely two days within the early psychological evaluation of the d -Kotov doesn’t present any suicide tendencies, mentioned Gia Manapova, his lawyer.
The mom of G -N Kotov has requested prosecutors to proceed together with his case posthumously in order that he will be launched from the costs in opposition to him, his lawyer mentioned.
“It was not fully unclear to me find out how to arrange journey for males may very well be thought of because the creation of an extremist group,” she mentioned.
On the night time after the Supreme Court docket banned the LGBTQ motion in 2023, Sergei Artomov, a 36-year-old homosexual from Moscow, mentioned he and his pals have been directed to a police raid at a nightclub in Moscow. Staff blocked the exits, made the pattaceans stand on the wall, after which recorded their ID card info, he mentioned.
Nobody was arrested, however Mr. Artomov, who labored as a tv producer, mentioned the expertise shaken him. He mentioned he had already considered leaving Russia as a result of he wished to stay as an open homosexual man and that the rabbit had intensified his dedication.
“I knew issues would solely worsen,” he mentioned. “There isn’t a longer a grey zone. They name you the enemy of individuals and that is all.”
He left shortly earlier than Christmas to Spain, the place he mentioned he had been given asylum.
The Kremlin -run marketing campaign was crushed by vigilant teams, in addition to native officers and state media.
Within the distant Jap Siberian metropolis of Yakutia, Pribyy Yakutsk, a well-liked telegram media channel, has raised considerations in regards to the holidays for “debauchery and corruption of males occurring below the very nostril of regulation enforcement and officers in Yakutsk.”
He posted two grainy pictures from a nightclub social gathering depicting what appeared like bare ladies, considered one of them a unadorned man. The Telegram Channel message says the social gathering consists of what he calls “Transvestite Performers” from Thailand.
Later, the courtroom fines the membership 250,000 rubles or about $ 2,800 to violate public order, as its patrons are “in a state of undressing, which offends human dignity and promotes unconventional sexual relations.”
RussianA nationalist group, which involves social vigilators, additionally publishes pictures and movies of police raids. Final yr the group published video of raid On the LGBTQ nightclub within the metropolis of Orenburg, who confirmed a number of younger folks mendacity on the ground going through down, arrested.
A criminal case He was later filed in opposition to the proprietor of the membership, supervisor and artwork director who continues to be ready for a take a look at.
State media additionally bombard Russians with reviews of heterosexual households with kids. Earlier this yr d -n -Putin issued order To ensure that his authorities to provide you with a method for selling households with many kids.
Because the Kremlin launched the primary invoice in opposition to homosexual in 2013, the variety of Russians they think about, enlarged from 47 to 62 p.c, based on the impartial levad ballot.
Younger Russians are nonetheless far more to simply accept lgbtq folks than older, opinion The polls present, however have additionally heard fixed denial of them within the media within the final yr.
“This torrent of homosexual and trans hatred, which continues to pour from all of the media, could have penalties,” says Tatiana Vinninko, a veteran LGBTQ activist residing in exile in Lithuania.
The Trans Neighborhood is a selected function of the authorities with the acceptance of a law In 2023, a ban on trans -health care and altering gender identifiers in official paperwork.
The final spherical of repression has inspired the silent homosexual and trance folks from Russia, activists say.
However Tahir, a 25-year-old homosexual, who requested for his surname to be refused a worry of prosecution, mentioned he had no intention of leaving.
“I positively know issues will worsen,” he mentioned. “However I do not need to go away. This nation is mine as it’s for others.”
