In this photo provided by Pavel Lebedev, security personnel detain Lebedev, a gay protester, during the Olympic torch relay in the city of Voronezh, 534 km (334 miles) south of Moscow, Saturday, Jan. 18, 2014. A gay Russian protester has been detained for unfurling a rainbow flag during the Olympic torch relay as it passed through his hometown of Voronezh. Lebedev said he was protesting the hosting of the Olympics in Russia, where a bill banning homosexual propaganda was signed into law by President Vladimir Putin in June. (AP Photo/Andrei Nasonov)
January 18, 2014 - 9:38 AM
MOSCOW - A gay Russian protester has been detained for unfurling a rainbow flag during the Olympic torch relay as it passed through his hometown of Voronezh, 910 kilometres north of Sochi, where the games will begin Feb. 7.
Photos uploaded by his friends show Pavel Lebedev pulling out the flag and then being detained by security employees, who wrestle him to the snow as they wait for police to arrive. Lebedev, who was reached by The Associated Press by phone, said he was still in the police station and undergoing questioning.
Lebedev said he was protesting the hosting of the Olympics in Russia, where a bill banning homosexual propaganda was signed into law by President Vladimir Putin in June.
News from © The Associated Press, 2014