By Connie Hong
Impunity Watch Reporter, Europe

MOSCOW, Russia – On Friday, the Moscow City Court affirmed for the second time, its decision to ban gay pride parades for the next century. The ruling came after Nikolay Alexeyev, Russia’s best-known gay rights advocate, challenged the city council’s ban on gay pride parades after the city rejected his application for a parade license. According to the city court’s decision, any public gathering that could be classified as a gay pride march or celebration is prohibited from March 2012 until May 2112. In support of its position, the city government argued that gay pride parades might instigate public disorder, and that most Muscovites do not support such marches.

Alexeyev admitted that he never actually expected the government to grant him a license, but needed the refusal in order to bring a cause of action against the government in the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR).

The ECHR has found that in refusing to issue a license to Alexeyev, Russia had discriminated against him on the basis of his sexual orientation. In that judgment, the ECHR ordered Russia to pay Alexeyev an award of 12,000 euros for non-pecuniary damages, plus 17,510 euros for costs and attorneys fees (USD $41,090).

In response to the decision recently handed down by the Moscow City Court that affirmed the century long ban on gay marches, Alexeyev stated that he will appeal to the ECHR again and continue his fight against the ban. “We will appeal against the actions taken by the Russian authorities, which have banned gay pride parades in Moscow for the next 100 years, in the European Court of Human Rights in the nearest future,” he was quoted by Interfax as saying. “Thus, we will get the invalidation of the bans not only on past, but also future gay pride parades in the Russian capital.”

According to Interfax, Alexeyev also intends to contact the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe in September. The council will be reviewing the implementation of the European court’s decision on Alexeyev v. Russia, which ruled that bans on gay pride parades in Moscow in 2006-2008 were illegitimate.

 

For further information, please see:

BBC News — Gay parades banned in Moscow for 100 years — 17 August 2012

Huffington Post — Russia Bans Moscow Gay Pride Celebrations For 100 Years — 17 August 2012

Interfax — Moscow City Court upholds ban on gay pride parades in Moscow for the next 100 years — 17 August 2012

Jurist — Moscow court upholds 100-year city ban on gay pride marches — 17 August 2012

RT — Moscow court upholds 100-year ban on gay pride events — 17 August 2012