Gay African Student Tortured By Russian Neo-Nazi Group Returns Home

EDGE READ TIME: 2 MIN.

Officials from Swaziland have confirmed that the gay African exchange student at the center of a shocking video, featuring his kidnap and racist torture at the hands of Russian neo-Nazis, has been returned to his native country.

As previously reported by EDGE , anti-gay activists in the city of Belgorod, located 25 miles from the Ukrainian border, lured David Smith (not his real name), a 20-year-old student initially reported to be from South Africa, into a sting. The group allegedly involved is part of the Russian neo-Nazi movement "Occupy Pedophilia" which sets online traps for gay men and posts the videos of the assaults on social media.??

According to Times of Swaziland, the victim previously referred to as "David Smith" who for the purposes of their article they use the pseudonym "Gadela," has been returned to his native country.

Percy Simelane, a spokesman for the Swaziland government told reporters "While government was gathering information, Gadlela came home. Due to the trauma he suffered, he went to his family and neglected contacting government on his arrival."

According to government officials who met with the student's family, he is physically fine, but does not intend to resume studies in Russia.

Gazela's ordeal, as chronicled on video by "Occupy Pedophilia," featured the student being forced into a bathroom where he was partially stripped and interrogated in both Russian and English about his sexual past. In addition to being slapped and taunted, the victim had his head shaved and was forced through a number of humiliating scenarios, including being forced to kiss and dance with a watermelon which was eventually shoved into his face.

Last week Maxim Martsinkevich, the alleged leader of the Occupy Pedophilia movement announced that he fled Russia to avoid charges of extremism. Gay Star News reports that while Russian prosecutors are not filing charges of kidnapping, assault or rape against Martsinkevich, he is being sought for 'incitement of ethnic and social hatred.'

A recent news release from the Sova Center which tracks violence in Russia, states that in October 2013, no fewer than 20 people were injured in racist and neo-Nazi attacks, two of them fatally. The report goes on to say that since the beginning of the year, racist violence has killed 18 people in Russia and injured 141.


by EDGE

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