Home of Russian LGBT activist Nikolai Alekseyev raided by police
Police in Moscow have reportedly searched the home of the Russian LGBT activist Nikolai Alekseyev.
On Tuesday, in a series of tweets, he said: “RT! Police in Moscow is trying to break into the flat of Nikolay Alekseev since 7 am! Urgent alert!!!”
“To all media! From 7 am police breaks the door of Moscow Pride organizer Nikolay Alekseev! Urgent alert!”
According to German website Queer, the operation is the result of legal proceedings taken against Mr Alekseyev by the Russian MP Yelena Mizulina, following remarks made by the campaigner towards the MP on Twitter.
RIA claims the action was taken under charges of “insulting a representative of authority.”
On his Facebook page, Mr Alekseyev declared that the officers had been in his home for three hours and in the process “destroyed everything”.
Mr Alekseyev has been a leading opponent in Russia of laws governing gay “propaganda” – and also recently criticised those in the West for appearing to jump on a boycott bandwagon of the Sochi 2014 Winter Olympics.
On 17 August he tweeted: “Western media has no respect for Russia and its people and LGBT population included. What they report about Sochi and gay propaganda is sham.”
“All Western media want to hear from me that Russia is shit and I don’t want to take part in this hypocrisy. So all interviews are over!”
