Case Background
A Moscow court issued a posthumous conviction on November 14, 2025 against Andrei Kotov, founder of a travel agency catering to LGBTQ+ travelers, on charges of organizing "illegal activities."
Kotov studied tourism management at Saint Petersburg State University and founded the agency in Moscow in 2018, specializing in niche European travel routes for LGBTQ+ clients. At its peak, the agency employed 15 staff and served more than 1,000 clients annually.
Following Russia's 2022 ban on the dissemination of related promotional materials, the agency was designated as covertly promoting "non-traditional views" and subjected to repeated inspections. After related activities were formally classified as illegal in 2023, Kotov was placed under criminal investigation on suspicion of organizing such activities. He died of sudden illness during the investigation. The court issued its conviction in absentia on November 14, 2025, finding that the agency had disseminated illegal content through its tourism services.
Related Enforcement Actions
The case is not isolated. Recent enforcement actions in Russia have included: a 3-million-ruble fine against TikTok in October 2022 for failing to remove related content; the temporary closure of an LGBTQ+ nightclub in November 2023 with dozens of individuals questioned; a fine imposed on a Saratov artist in early 2024 for displaying a rainbow flag on social media; and a five-day detention handed to a woman in Nizhny Novgorod for wearing rainbow-colored earrings — reported as the first such case in the region involving accessories.
European Editorial Office: John