A Chinese citizen, Khaoyan Suy, and his partner, Gela Gogishvili, who is an ethnically Georgian citizen of Russia, have been arrested in Russia on charges of violating the country’s law outlawing gay “propaganda.” The couple, who document their life as an openly gay, interracial, non-Slavic couple living in Russia on their popular social media channels, including on TikTok, YouTube, and Telegram, face a fine of up to 50,000 rubles ($628) or arrest.
Their lawyer, Adel Khaydarshin, told the Telegram news channel SOTA that Suy also faces deportation from Russia. The two men are accused of violating Russia’s law that prohibits “propaganda” of LGBT relationships with a video on their YouTube channel. Police detained Suy on Wednesday at a Burger King restaurant in Kazan after he failed to present his passport and registration documents during a document check. Suy asked his partner to bring his documents to the restaurant, but both men were arrested as soon as Gogishvilli arrived.
The couple met in Moscow and have been living in the republic of Tatarstan’s capital, Kazan, since 2021. In March, they were targeted by St. Petersburg-based anti-LGBT activist Timur Bulatov and have since faced death threats and harassment. One of Suy’s professors at Kazan University had also threatened to report him to the police for violating Russia’s anti-LGBT law, according to an interview with the couple published by the U.S.-funded Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty outlet last month.
Russia expanded its controversial law against so-called “gay propaganda” late last year to outlaw virtually all public expression and depictions of LGBT relationships and lifestyles. The law has been criticized by human rights groups for fueling homophobia and discrimination against the LGBT community in Russia. The arrest of the two popular LGBT bloggers has sparked outrage among LGBT activists and supporters worldwide, who are calling for their immediate release and an end to Russia’s anti-LGBT laws.