Yelena Grigoryeva

For the Belarusian figure skater, see Yelena Grigoryeva (figure skater).
Yelena Grigoryeva
DiedJuly 21, 2019
Saint Petersburg, Russia
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.