Prominent LGBTIQ+ activist Yelena Grigoryeva was fatally stabbed in the Russian city of St. Petersburg days after she alerted friends that her name had appeared on a website that encourages the "hunt for homosexual, bisexual and transgender people".
Local media reported that the 41-year-old's body was discovered in bushes near her home on Sunday afternoon.
Days before her death, Ms Grigoryeva posted about the website on Facebook.
Ms Grigoryeva feared her life was in danger after she discovered her name on a website that offered prizes for attacking gays. Source: Facebook
The 41-year-old wrote that the website posted the personal data of "presumably LGBT+" activists, "including photos and addresses," and offered awards to those who carried out attacks.
Fellow activist and friend of Ms Grigoryeva, Dinar Idrisov said "she has been the victim of violence and has often been threatened with murder."
A memorial to Elena Grigorieva at the Dvortsovaya square in St. Petersburg. Source: AAP
"I learned today that Lena asked a mutual friend to take care of her cat in the event of her death when she was threatened with murder. She promised to do this in order to calm her down, although she did not believe in the realisation of the threats," he said in a Facebook post following her death.
A suspect has been detained in connection with her murder, according to local news site, Fontanka.
It's not yet clear if the attack was linked to Ms Grigoryeva's activism.
