Andrei Kotov, 48, was found dead around 4 a.m. on Sunday at the Vodnik pretrial detention center, where he was awaiting trial on charges of supporting an international LGBT extremist terrorist movement. His lawyer confirmed her client had died by suicide following allegations of abuse at the hands of security forces during his arrest.
Kotov testified at a court hearing earlier this month that he was beaten and threatened with a stun gun if he did not confess his alleged crimes during the arrest. He recounted how 'about 15 people came to me at night, they beat me, hit me in the face, on the legs, left bruises.'
Kotov claimed he was beaten by two masked men who demanded a confession regarding LGBT extremism. When he insisted the tours were not targeted at that community, he said he was taken to the kitchen and told to greet the man's 'brothers in the regiment.'
The circumstances of Andrei Kotov's death have raised significant concerns over the treatment of individuals accused of LGBT-related charges in Russia, highlighting issues of violence, coercion, and potential human rights abuses.
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