Russian Tourism Entrepreneur Arrested for Organizing Gay Tours
Detained for Allegedly Hosting LGBTI-Themed Vacations and Cruises
A tourism entrepreneur in Moscow has been arrested for organizing a New Year holiday trip to Egypt and a cruise on the Volga River, both allegedly aimed at LGBTI+(lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex+) individuals.
A Moscow court has detained Andrey Kotov, the owner of a tourism company, under allegations of arranging tours specifically for LGBTI+ clients.
According to TurkishRus, citing Russian media, Kotov is set to be tried under Article 282.2 of the Russian Criminal Code. The charges include “organizing the activities of an extremist organization” and “participating in such an organization,” which carry a potential sentence of up to 10 years in prison.
Authorities claim Kotov organized a New Year holiday trip to Egypt and a Volga River cruise centered around LGBTI+ themes.
Denying the charges, Kotov defended himself in court, stating that the tours were purely of a tourist nature and did not involve any ideological propaganda.
