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Home of Togliatti LGBT Activist Raided

The apartment of an LGBT rights activist from the city of Togliatti was raided by police as part of criminal case that had been opened against him, the Interfax news agency reported Wednesday.

Regional prosecutors accuse Konstantin Golava of uploading materials to his page on popular Russian social network VKontakte containing materials that incited hatred against ethnic Russians and citizens of Russia, Interfax reported.

Golava claimed that a linguistic examination of his social media posts had led investigators to conclude they contained hateful content. The report did not elaborate on the precise nature of Golava's social media posts.

Golava's laptop and other electronic devices were seized during the raid, Interfax reported.

Under Russian law, individuals found guilty of disseminating materials inciting national, racial or religious enmity can face up to four years in prison.

In 2013, Golava was fined for allegedly desecrating the memory of Soviet victims of World War II by placing condoms near Togliatti's eternal flame monument. Golava had been taking part in an HIV-prevention event meant to raise awareness about the disease.

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