Rupert Everett backs Sochi Winter Olympics boycott over anti-gay laws

Rupert Everett has joined the campaign calling for a boycott of the Sochi Winter Olympics (PA)

Rupert Everett has joined the campaign calling for a boycott of the Sochi Winter Olympics in response to Russia’s anti-gay laws, describing the country’s attitude to homosexuality as “very cruel”.

The openly gay actor was speaking at the Edinburgh International Book Festival about his book Vanished Years when he backed Stephen Fry, who called for an “absolute ban on the Russian Winter Olympics”.

The broadcaster wrote a letter to David Cameron and the International Olympic Committee after Russian President Vladimir Putin signed an act banning the “propaganda of non-traditional sexual relations” in June.

Everett, left, said it “feels terrible to have to observe all this stuff going on” in Russia and added it “is coming to a horrible head”.

The actor, who spent 18 months filming in Russia, said: “If you are gay in Russia you don’t know anything about anything. You have no idea Aids exists because there’s no information. You live very secretly. If anyone finds out… you are liable to be beaten up, or killed, or forced to commit suicide.”