A transgender man has been arrested for ordering testosterone in Russia
(NATALIA KOLESNIKOVA/AFP/Getty Images)
A transgender man has been arrested while collecting his parcel of testosterone from the post office.
Vladislav had been ordering the hormones from Belarus for 18 months without any issue.
He told Zona Media: “I bought on foreign websites – that is, Belarus.
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“For a while – these 18 months – everything was fine.
“I did not even know in principle that it was forbidden,” he added.
Getting testosterone from a pharmacy in Russia can be extremely expensive.
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Vladislav described ordering his hormones online as the “simplest and most profitable option” for him.
But when he went to collect his hormones in November last year, he was stopped by two customs agents at the post office.
“They introduced themselves and said that they had received a tip about me that I was getting something illegal at the post office.”
He told the two officers: “I’m transgender, and I need it.”
After confiscating his parcel and taking him to their car, they interrogated him.
They suspected that he could be an athlete taking drugs to enhance his performance or someone who wanted to smuggle drugs into Russia to sell on the black market.
Vladislav was arrested under Article 226.1 of the Criminal Code for smuggling of potent substances.
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Since 2007, the testosterone he ordered has been classed as one of these substances.
If convicted, he could face imprisonment for a term of three to seven years with a fine of up to one million roubles.
Transgender activist group, Trans Coalition told GSN: “The criminal prosecution of a trans person who needs medical care is inhumane and inadequate to international legal norms.”
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The officers misgendered Vladislav, calling him “your daughter” when speaking to his mother.
Getting legal gender recognition in Russia can be a long and stressful process, and because of this 50 percent of the trans population are still rejected from job positions.
