Yelena Grigoryeva, an activist for the St. Petersburg-based Alliance of Heterosexuals and LGBT People for Equal Rights, was killed on the evening of July 21. Grigoryeva had participated in a number of the Alliance’s protests and initiatives as well as other anti-war and pro-democracy projects around St. Petersburg.
According to human rights activist Dinar Idrisov and the Russian LGBT Network, Grigoryeva had received multiple death threats both on- and offline. Idrisov said that Grigoryeva and her attorney reported both the threats and physical violence that followed to local police, who displayed “no noticeable reaction” to her reports.
A murder case was reportedly opened shortly after Grigoryeva’s body was found on the evening of July 21, but whether her death will be investigated as a hate crime is not yet clear.
Meduza survived 2024 thanks to its readers!
Let’s stick together for 2025.
The world is at a crossroads today, and quality journalism will help shape the decades to come. The real stories must be told at any cost. Please support Meduza by signing up for a recurring donation.