Russian State doubles down on MAP/homophobia after military instructor "molests" cadet in sauna

[Jim Burton]

https://www.kyivpost.com/post/68743

A 57-year-old Russian military school instructor is sentenced to eight years in prison after a court found him guilty of molesting a 16-year-old cadet.

Court verdicts say Vladimir Shchekotov, an instructor at the Yekaterinburg Suvorov Military School, invited a minor cadet to sauna at his countryside house (known as a “dacha” in Russian) and sexually assaulted him, Russian independent outlet Astra reported on Jan. 25.

The Chkalovsky District Court in Yekaterinburg convicted Shchekotov despite his not-guilty plea. In addition to the eight-year sentence, the court ordered him to pay the victim 200,000 rubles ($2,663) in compensation for “moral damages,” and imposed a further 18 months of “restricted freedom” after he completes his prison term.

[...]

As opposed to popular belief, homosexuality itself is not a criminal offense in Russia.

However, the Kremlin has increasingly repressed gay rights – enforcing a “gay propaganda” ban that forbids public expression of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender (LGBT) relationships and, in 2023, the Russian Supreme Court labeled the so‑called “international LGBT movement” as an extremist organization, exposing activists and supporters to fines and possible criminal charges.