Ekaterina Zigunova has led the physical torture, ritual degradation and sexual abuse of over a hundred men. Her followers have committed similar and worse crimes against thousands more. The Russian authorities turn a blind eye because the victims are gay.

In Russia it is even illegal to say gay people shouldn’t be tortured. Millions of people are living in terror. It is no exaggeration to compare what’s happening today with what happened in Germany in the 1930s. Laws exist to stop the victims speaking out. Spirits are being broken. People are begging the international community for help and being ignored. Immigration is blocked. Suicide rates are rising exponentially.

This situation is so horrific and so outside our ordinary frames of reference that many of us have been too stunned to take action. This is also what happened in the 1930s. We ask, how could it have happened? This is how. Because people like us do nothing.

Please watch this Channel Four documentary and see for yourself what the gangs do on camera with no fear of reprisal. These sadistic attacks are virtually sanctioned by the state.

There are THOUSANDS of torture videos being shared on the Russian equivalents of Facebook and YouTube. Ekaterina Zigunova is recruiting new followers on these sites every day. She invites them to “go hunting” and describes the long torture sessions as “safaris”. She falsely links herself to the Occupy movement, and conflates homosexuality and pedophilia, to get more support.

Yesterday many of us celebrated our love with chocolates and flowers. It was nice. But today we must wake up and help our brothers and sisters in Russia. There are people crouched in the corner of their bedroom right now, alone, terrified to even think. We must help them. You must help them.