Peter Tatchell detained in Moscow: Gay activist held after one-man protest against Russian treatment of LGBT+ community

Veteran campaigner was later released on bail and is due in court 26 June

Gay rights campaigner Peter Tatchell has been detained in Moscow after staging a one-man protest against Russia’s treatment of LGBT+ people.

He stood near the statue of Marshal Zhukov near Red Square and the Kremlin, holding a poster which read: “Putin fails to act against Chechnya torture of gay people,” before several police officers moved in to apprehend him.

One-man protests are usually legal in Russia, and official approval is only needed for protests of two people or more. But during the World Cup, a temporary rule has been introduced in some areas, meaning even one-man protests are illegal.

Before arresting the British campaigner, the Russian police officers first discussed the constitution with him for around 10 minutes, according to The Independent‘s Moscow correspondent Oliver Carroll, who was on the scene.

Mr Tatchell was allowed to walk to a nearby police car where he was initially questioned, before being driven away to a police station. He was later released on bail, according to a statement on Twitter from the Peter Tatchell Foundation, and is due to appear in court on 26 June.

“I’ve spoken to the Consulate Gen. who says he has been bailed & treated well. Thank you for the all the good wishes. Let’s remember the awful plight of LGBTs in Russian & Chechnya,” the statement said.

On his reasons for staging the protest, Mr Tatchell said before his arrest: “Little action has been taken by the Russian government and police to crack down on far right extremists who target LGBT+ people for violent and humiliating assaults – including the instigators of the current threats to bash and stab LGBT+ football fans at the World Cup.”

He said it was his sixth visit to Russia, where he said he has twice been arrested during protests and suffered brain damage after being attacked by Russian neo-Nazis in 2007.