The Ministry of Internal Affairs has put Yaroslavl LGBT activist Yaroslav Sirotkin on the wanted list. Mediazona drew attention to the wanted card.
As stated in the Ministry of Internal Affairs database, Sirotkin is wanted “under an article of the Criminal Code.” In connection with what a criminal case was opened against him is unknown.
Screenshot from the search database of the Ministry of Internal Affairs
After the start of a full-scale war in Ukraine, Sirotkin left Russia and opened a shelter in Armenia for representatives of the LGBT community from Russia, Ukraine and Belarus.
In April 2022, the Ministry of Justice included Sirotkin in the register of “foreign agents”; later the activist was fined 40 thousand rubles under the protocol on the absence of “foreign agent” markings in publications (part 4 of article 19.34 of the Administrative Code). Then Sirotkin wrote on social networks that he was not going to pay the fine. “I simply do not recognize and refuse to comply with laws that go against my conscience and civic convictions,” the post said.
In 2021, Sirotkin and another LGBT activist Alexander Derrek spoke about the attack on them in the center of Yaroslavl. According to them, an unknown person ran up to them on the street shouting “faggots,” sprayed pepper spray and ran away.
Now the activist runs the telegram channel “LGBT+ Eshnik”, in which he talks about discrimination against representatives of the LGBT community and methods of combating state homophobia.