Yelena Grigoryeva

Yelena Grigoryeva
DiedJuly 21, 2019
NationalityRussian
Occupation(s)Human rights and LGBTQ rights activist
Known forOpposing the annexation of Crimea by the Russian Federation

Yelena 'Lena' Grigoryeva[1] (1977/1978 – July 21, 2019) was a human rights and LGBTQ rights activist. She also opposed the annexation of Crimea by the Russian Federation.[2][3][4] She was murdered in St. Petersburg, Russia on 21 July 2019, when she was stabbed and strangled to death by unknown assailants, her body being found near her home.[4] Grigoryeva's identifying information had appeared in July on a website created by a group calling themselves ‘Saw’ after the American horror film franchise. The group encouraged readers to hunt and murder a list of LGBTQ+ people. Saw's website was blocked in Russia but a new list of LGBTQ+ activists, journalists and citizens is circulating on social media apps and messaging apps in the country, still encouraging others to murder LGBTQ+ people in Russia.[citation needed]

Grigoryeva had protested publicly in support of the Khachaturian sisters not long before her death. She also participated in anti-war and pro-democracy demonstrations,[3] and had protested for the release of Crimean Tatars living in occupied Crimea in Ukraine accused of terrorism, against Russia's military activities in Ukraine, and against domestic violence.[1]

  1. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference Luxmoore2019 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ "Prominent LGBT activist murdered in Russia". BBC. 2019-07-23. Archived from the original on 30 July 2019. Retrieved 2019-07-24.
  3. ^ a b Ingber, Sasha (July 23, 2019). "Russian LGBT Activist Is Found Dead; Friends Say She Was Threatened". NPR.org. Archived from the original on 23 July 2019. Retrieved 2019-07-24.
  4. ^ a b Fitzsimons, Tim (July 23, 2019). "Russian LGBTQ activist is killed after being listed on gay-hunting website". NBC News. Archived from the original on 23 July 2019. Retrieved 2019-07-24.

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