Russian Rapper, Arrested for Allegedly Spreading ‘LGBT Propaganda’ Receives Military Summons

A Russian rapper who was arrested after attending a “nearly-naked” party in Russia that the authorities deemed was part of the “extremist” LGBT movement got a military summons.

While the rapper, Nikolai Vasilyev, who goes by “VACIO,” told Russian authorities that he isn’t gay and isn’t part of the so-called “international LGBT public movement” – he was arrested, fined, and jailed for 15 days in late December after a Moscow court found him guilty of petty hooliganism and spreading “gay propaganda,” The Moscow Times, an independent Russian newspaper now based in Amsterdam due to restrictive media laws in Russia reported.

At the nearly-naked party, Vasilyev wore just a sock over his penis. When photos of the Dec. 21 private party got out, there was a public backlash that triggered on-camera apologies from various artists who attended.

Alexei Lobaryov, a member of Russia’s Public Monitoring Commission, visited the rapper in prison, The Moscow Times reported.

“After he served 15 days, [Vasilyev] was taken to the military registration and enlistment office near the Belorusskaya metro station, where he was given a summons for Jan. 9, and then taken to the police,” Lobaryov is quoted as saying.

But while Vasilyev was supposed to be released on Friday, he was then again arrested on hooliganism charges and ordered to stay in jail 10 more days. He will still be in detention on the day he’s meant to appear for military service, Lobaryov said.

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Vasilyev “doesn’t face the threat of serving in the army because he had allegedly failed the military-medical commission in his native Yekaterinburg for health reasons,” Lobaryov is quoted saying.