Russian law enforcement officials have confirmed that a man was tortured and murdered in the southern city of Volgograd, apparently because he was gay.



A spokeswoman for the Volgograd office of the Investigative Committee said on May 12 that the battered body of the unidentified victim was found on the morning of May 10.



Two men, aged 22 and 27, have been arrested in connection with the attack.



According to investigators, the 23-year-old victim had been drinking with the two men to celebrate Victory Day on May 9 when he told them he was gay.



The two men then allegedly beat him, sodomized him with a beer bottle, and smashed in his skull with a stone.



Activists in Russia say it is rare for officials to specify homophobia as the motive for a crime.



Based on reporting by Reuters, AFP, and Interfax