A Moscow court has posthumously convicted the owner of a travel agency for orchestrating extremist activities associated with the banned “LGBT movement,” nearly a year after his death in police custody, as reported by the independent outlet Mediazona on Friday.

State investigators asserted that Andrei Kotov, who managed the Men Travel agency, died by suicide in late December 2024.

Kotov testified in court that he was subjected to beatings and electric shocks from a stun gun during his arrest in November 2024. Human rights organizations claimed he was denied necessary medication and adequate warm clothing while incarcerated.

On Friday, the Golovinsky District Court in Moscow found Kotov guilty of participating in and organizing the operations of an “extremist organization” while also accusing him of involving minors in the distribution of pornography. Mediazona noted that the pornography charge was added to the indictment later in the process.

The trial has been conducted behind closed doors since June, and it was officially concluded following the verdict due to Kotov’s passing, according to Mediazona.

In late 2023, the Supreme Court of Russia designated the so-called “international LGBT movement” as an extremist entity, effectively criminalizing public expressions of LGBTQ+ identities and advocacy.

Media reports indicated that Kotov organized trips for LGBTQ+ clients, which included a planned New Year’s tour to Egypt and a previous cruise on the Volga River.

Kotov denied the allegations, asserting that the trips he facilitated were standard commercial endeavors.

Several witnesses did not show up in court or gave contradictory statements, according to the independent Telegram news channel Mozhem Obyasnit.

Authorities had instructed one witness for the prosecution to join Kotov’s trip to gather evidence for the case, as reported by an anonymous lawyer familiar with the situation. This witness reportedly failed to provide clear evidence during the trial.