On the 13th of July, 2023, the Federal Security Service (FSB) of Russian announced the arrest of a transgender rights activist on charges of "high treason" due to alleged support for Ukraine.

The arrest of this activist comes in the midst of ongoing discussions in the Russian Parliament concerning a bill that seeks to prohibit gender transitions. The FSB stated that “Authorities stopped the illegal activities of a Russian citizen, resident of the Oryol region, involved in high treason for providing financial aid to the armed forces of Ukraine”.

This statement was met with shock and disbelief by the LGBT+ community in Russia, who have been fighting for their rights in the face of a hostile government. The arrest of the transgender rights activist is not the only tragedy to have occurred in the Russian LGBT+ community in recent times.

On the 5th of June, 2023, a former Russian naval commander was shot dead while jogging in a park in Krasnodar. The suspect in this case was soon arrested by the police, and the investigation is ongoing.

The LGBT+ community in Russia has been subjected to discrimination and persecution for many years. Russia's "gay propaganda" laws, which ban public displays of support for LGBT+ rights, have been in force since 2013.

The government has also shut down LGBT+ support groups, and its policies have resulted in increased levels of homophobia and transphobia in the country. The arrest of the transgender rights activist in Russia has been met with outrage from supporters of LGBT+ rights all over the world.

The European Union has called upon the Russian government to respect the human rights of all its citizens, regardless of their sexual orientation or gender identity. The LGBT+ community in Russia is facing a bleak future, and it is unlikely that their plight will be addressed anytime soon.

The arrest of the transgender rights activist is a stark reminder of the discrimination and persecution that the LGBT+ community still faces in the country, and it is only through international pressure that their rights will be protected.