Summary

Andrei Kotov, a Russian travel agency director accused of organizing LGBTQ+ tours, died in pre-trial detention in Moscow.

Authorities claim his death was a suicide, but rights groups highlight previous reports of beatings and abuse during his arrest.

Kotov was charged with “extremist activities” after Russia banned the LGBTQ+ movement as extremist in 2023, intensifying its crackdown on LGBTQ+ rights.

He denied organizing specific LGBTQ+ events, calling them ordinary tours.

His death has raised concerns about the treatment of detainees and the broader suppression of dissent in Russia.

      • chronicledmonocle@lemmy.world
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        5 days ago

        No. This is a BS “both sides” type argument.

        There are other terror states. Iran, China, Russia, Afghanistan, and many more, but there are many countries that focus on freedom and democratic values. Some might be slipping into tyrannical government’s slowly (looking at you US of A), but even those are nowhere near the levels Russia is.

          • The Quuuuuill@slrpnk.net
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            3 days ago

            i would categorize a terror state as being a state (naion, country, or empire) in which terrorism is a regular fact of life that is either tolerated or implemented by the official wielders of power. on some level, i do actually agree that every state is a terrorist state, but given that, the term loses value, so instead, i prefer to think of the term as representative of a spectrum. on one end of the spectrum you have states like the Netherlands who go along with terror implemented by their allies but do go out of their way to condemn it. unfortunately, in our current global status, this is probably as good as it gets. on the opposite end of the spectrum you have a state like the russian federation that keeps everyone, at home and abroad, under the boot heel of oppression. the key with russia it they are a one stop terror shop. there’s not much obfuscation of who’s doing the terror or why. as for where my nation sits, the united states: it’s not great! i’d say we’re pretty far over into the terrorist state spectrum

        • FantasticDonkey@reddthat.com
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          5 days ago

          Freedom and democratic values unless you’re a Palestinian baby being shredded into pieces in order to defend said values. It’s better to be a citizen in the US than in Iran China Russia etc. but if you’re a baby being shredded it doesn’t really matter who shredded you.

        • blindbunny@lemmy.ml
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          5 days ago

          Omfg cope the USA has done as much if not more damage to the world then all of those you mentioned. Any coagulation of power is a structure for corruption to take place. This exists in every state. Denying that is childish.

          • Pips@lemmy.sdf.org
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            5 days ago

            Any coagulation of power is a structure for corruption to take place.

            If that’s the case, why are you participating in this moderated forum controlled by other people? Surely you’re just feeding their inevitable corruption.

          • Dashi@lemmy.world
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            5 days ago

            Ahahahaha, I typed up this whole reply but realized their was no point in having a good faith discussion with someone this delusional. So I’m just going to thank you for the laugh.

    • eldavi@lemmy.ml
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      5 days ago

      i have that thought every single time i see someone get arrested by the police in the united states; i hope to myself that they don’t experience the same fate that most brown people like me experience at the hands of those thugs.

      • Skiluros@sh.itjust.works
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        4 days ago

        I have had interactions with police in both russia and US (I am not white). It is not even close.

        Police in the US clearly do a lot of very bad, brutal things, but they still have a measure of self-control.

        Russian police are literally more like open criminals without any sort of accountability (outside of targetting say the son of a well connected government thug or oligarch by mistake). Russian police are completely unhinged.

        • eldavi@lemmy.ml
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          5 days ago

          Police in the US clearly do a lot of very bad brutal things, but they still have measure of self-control.

          was that self control in the room with them when they beat that that guy to death last weekend while he was still cuffed down the entire time?

          • Skiluros@sh.itjust.works
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            4 days ago

            Have you ever dealt with russian police? And if yes, in what context? What is your russian like, what level is it?

            Keep in mind I explicitly said that US police are brutal.

              • Skiluros@sh.itjust.works
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                4 days ago

                Because “ACAB” is not a viable approach. Even in a society where all the oligarchs and their lackeys are serving multi-decade prison terms, you still need a police institution.

                And framing this as a “competition” inherently whitewashes the crimes of the russian police.

                • eldavi@lemmy.ml
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                  4 days ago

                  You misunderstand ACAB in the same way your buddies understand “all lives matter”