A Russian man has been arrested for running a travel agency for gay clients and has been found dead in custody in Moscow

A Russian man arrested for allegedly running a travel agency for gay clients has been found dead in custody in Moscow, human rights group OVD-Info reported on Sunday, amid a crackdown on gay rights in Russia.

according to OVD informationWhich tracks political arrests, and Andrei Kotov – director of the “Main Travel” agency – faced charges of “organizing and participating in extremist activity.”

OVD-Info said an investigator told Kotov’s lawyer that her client died by suicide early Sunday while on remand and was found dead in his cell.

Before Kotov’s death, independent media outlet Mediazona reported earlier this month that Kotov rejected the charges and said in court that law enforcement officers beat him and subjected him to electric shocks during the arrest, even though he did not resist.

Just over a year ago, Russia’s Supreme Court effectively banned any LGBT activity in a ruling that classified the “international gay movement” as extremist. according to Human Rights Watch, The court accused the “gay movement” of inciting social and religious strife. This move exposed anyone in or associated with the community to criminal prosecution and imprisonment, creating an atmosphere of fear and intimidation.

Russia’s LGBTQ+ community has been under legal and public pressure for more than a decade, but especially since the Kremlin sent troops into Ukraine in 2022. Russian leader Vladimir Putin has argued that the war is a proxy battle with the West, which he says is aimed at destroying Russia. and her “traditional family values” by lobbying for LGBTQ+ rights.

last month, Putin signed the law A bill bans the adoption of Russian children by citizens of countries where transgenderism is legal.

In 2022, The legislation was passed By the lower house of the Russian legislature prohibiting so-called “propaganda of non-traditional sexual relations” for both adults and minors.