Germany condemns killing of Russian LGBT activist

BERLIN – Germany is condemning the killing of a political activist in Russia and urging authorities to find out whether the crime was related to her advocacy of LGBT rights.

Yelena Grigorieva’s body was found Saturday near her home with eight stab wounds and signs of strangling. Homosexuality is not criminalized in Russia, but animosity towards the LGBT community is commonplace.

German Foreign Ministry spokesman Christofer Burger said Wednesday that Berlin is “very concerned about the circumstances of her death,” in light of the fact that Grigorieva had faced threats.

He called for a transparent and impartial investigation: “In particular, we expect it to be cleared up whether the killing of Ms. Grigorieva was linked to her commitment to LGBT rights.”