Journalist behind report on Russian torture of gay men passes away

Journalist behind report on Russian torture of gay men passes away
Image: Liz MacKean. Image: Twitter.

UK JOURNALIST Liz MacKean, who in 2014 broke the story of gay men being hunted for sport in Russia, has passed away.

MacKean passed away this week at 52 following a stroke, Pink News has reported.

James Harding, the BBC’s director of news, said MacKean had a reputation as a “remarkably tenacious and resourceful reporter”.

“In Northern Ireland, she won the trust of all sides and produced some of the most insightful and hard-hitting reporting of the conflict,” he said.

“It was as an investigative reporter that she really shone, shining a light on issues from the dumping of toxic waste off the African coast to Jimmy Savile, the story for which she is probably best known.”

MacKean’s 2014 Channel 4 documentary Hunted told the story of Russian gangs who hunt gay men for sport.

The film showed vigilante groups across Russia abducting gay men, torturing them and posting the footage online. Few were concerned about hiding their identities in the documentary.

MacKean told Pink News that the groups were publicly supported in Russia and “genuinely think they’re doing right”.

A video obituary for MacKean by her former colleagues calls her “fearless” and “wonderfully fun”, and praises her work in investigative journalism.

MacKean was named Journalist of the Decade by UK LGBTI organisation Stonewall.

She leaves behind her wife and two children.

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