By Madeline Schiesser
Impunity Watch Reporter, Europe

MOSCOW, Russia – On Friday, Russia’s lower house of Parliament, the State Duma, passed the first reading of a bill that would ban spreading “homosexual propaganda” among minors.  Police arrested about 20 protestors outside the Duma after a fight broke out between supporters and opponents of the ban.

Deputies of the Duma passed the first of three required readings with near-unanimous support: 338 voted in favor of the bill, 1 (Sergei Kuzin of United Russia) in opposition, and 1 (Dmitry Gudkov of A Just Russia) abstained.  In addition to passing the readings, the bill must also be approved by the Federation Council, and be signed by President Vladimir Putin to become law.

Although the bill was introduced in the Duma last March by lawmakers from Novosibirsk in Siberia, where locally such laws are already in effect, the bill’s consideration date was pushed back several times.

Echoing laws in St. Petersburg, Arkhangelsk, Novosibirsk, and other regions, the bill would impose fines on individuals and organizations promoting “homosexual behavior among minors.”  Individuals could be fined up to 5,000 roubles (£105; 124 euros; $166) and officials could face a fine of ten times that amount, or 50,000 roubles (£1,050; 1,240 euros; $1,660).  Legal entities, including businesses and schools, could be fined at 100-times the individual limit, resulting in fines of 500,000 roubles (£10,500; 12,400 euros; $16,600) per incident.

Opposition from the gay community has been strong, and gay-rights activists particularly note that the bill fails to define “homosexual propaganda.”  Like its forerunners, the bill also fails to give precise legal definition of homosexuality, bisexuality and transgender.  However, when the LGBT community attempted to challenge this lack of precise language in regional legislation last year, they were turned denied through the Supreme Court.  Accordingly, with the vague language, activities ranging from demonstrating to kissing in public, all in possible view of minors, could constitute “homosexual propaganda.”

Nonetheless, Russia’s state television has reported that members of the gay and lesbian community will be invited to attend the second hearing of the bill, which will most likely be in the next few weeks.

Meanwhile, outside the Duma Friday, gay-rights activists clashed with Russian Orthodox Christians.  The gay-rights activists protested with a “kiss-in,” which drew an angered, violent reaction from the bill’s supporters, some of them holding Russian Orthodox icons or crosses.  A scuffle ensued between the two sides, which was broken up by police from the Interior Ministry, who made several arrests.

According to opposition newspaper Novaya Gazeta correspondent and gay-rights activist Yelena Kostyuchenko, “”Some of them threw eggs at us, others chanted prayers. They poured ‘zelyonka’ [‘brilliant green,’ a common antiseptic that is hard to wash off] on us. They tried to attack us several times.”

Sources conflict as to whether, of the 20 people arrested by police, any proponents of the bill were among them.  However, Kostyuchenko, claiming the police were clearly on the Duma’s side, reported, “In our police van, there are only LGBT activists and their friends, people who were protesting the bill. There aren’t any fascists or so-called Orthodox activists among us here.”

Deputy Dmitry Sablin, a member of the ruling United Russia party explained the bill was necessary because “[a]lready 30 percent of children have a more or less positive attitude toward [homosexuality].”  He further stated, “We live in Russia after all; not Sodom and Gomorrah.”  Sablin concluded that defending “traditional values” is “even more important than oil or gas.”

United Russia’s parliamentary faction leader, Vladimir Vasilyev, noted the narrowness of the law in only restricting propaganda “among minors.”  In explaining the goal of the bill, he started “We want our young generation to grow up without this kind of influence.”

By contrast, Amnesty International has criticized the bill as “an attack on the right to freedom of expression,” and cautioned that the bill, which “further stigmatizes and alienates” homosexual people, could be interpreted very loosely.

In Washington, the Obama administration was “deeply concerned” over the bill.  State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland said the bill will “severely” restrict freedom of expression and assembly for LGBT individuals, and “indeed for all Russians.”  She called on Russia to protect its citizens’ democratic rights, without discrimination.

For related Impunity Watch posts, please see:

Russia Pushes Forward Anti-Gay Law – 22 January 2013

Russia “Gaga” Over Homosexuality Promotion Debate – 12 December 2012

For further information, please see:

France24 – Russia Backs Nationwide ‘Anti-Gay’ Bill – 26 January 2013

RFE/RL – Russian ‘Gay Propaganda’ Bill Passes First Reading Amid Scuffles Outside Duma – 26 January 2013

Amnesty International – Russia’s Anti-Gay ‘Propaganda Law’ Assault on Freedom of Expression – 25 January 2013

BBC News – Russian MPs Back ‘Gay Propaganda’ Ban Amid Scuffles – 25 January 2013

Moscow Times – Duma Passes Anti-Gay Law in First Reading – 25 January 2013

Returns – Russian Police Break up “Kiss-in” Over Anti-Gay Law – 25 January 2013

RT – Russian Duma Gives First Nod to Nationwide Ban on Gay Propaganda – 25 January 2013

By Alexandra Sandacz
Impunity Watch Reporter, Europe

LONDON, United Kingdom – On Friday, the British government created a bill to legalize same-sex marriage. The Marriage Bill extends marriage to gay couples; however, also prevents clergy in the Church of England from having to carry out the ceremonies.

Since 2005, gay couples in Britain were permitted to form civil partnerships, which give them the same legal protection, adoption and inheritance rights as heterosexual married partners. However, their partnerships lacked the label of marriage.

The new bill will allow couples who previously entered into civil partnerships to convert their relationship into a marriage, while also including specific provisions that intend to satisfy religious opponents of same-sex unions while simultaneously stopping religious leaders from criticizing the bill.

Equalities Minister, Maria Miller, stated, “We feel that marriage is a good thing and we should be supporting more couples to marry and that is exactly what the proposals being brought forward today do.”

However, she continued, “We are trying to make sure that there are the protections there for churches who feel that this isn’t appropriate for their particular beliefs. We know that there are churches who do want to take part in same-sex marriages, so we have made sure that there are provisions there so they can.”

Additionally, Maria Miller rejected claims that teachers could face disciplinary action if they refuse to “promote” gay marriage in schools. She says, “Teachers are able to, and entitled to, express their views about same-sex marriage and there is no requirement at all for them to promote it. But obviously we wouldn’t expect teachers to be offensive or discriminate in any way about anything.”

She concluded, “Of absolutely paramount importance to me is that when it comes to civil society, we should be treating people equally and fairly and the measures we are putting forward today are doing that.”

The Bishop of Leicester, the Right Reverend Tim Stevens, stated his opposition; marriage should continue to be “a union between one man and one woman. It is a social institution that predates both church and state and has been part of the glue that has bound countless successive societies together.” The “absence of an overwhelming public consensus for change ought at least to give pause for thought.”

While some traditionalist Conservative lawmakers say they will vote against it, conservative Prime Minister David Cameron, many members of his Cabinet, and most Liberal Democrat and Labour lawmakers support the new marriage bill.

The first debate and vote are scheduled for Feb 5.

For further information, please see:

Associated Press – Britain Introduces Same-Sex Marriage Bill – 25 January 2013

BBC News – Gay marriages: Government Publishes Legislation – 25 January 2013

Irish Examiner – British Govt Publishes Gay Marriage Bill – 25 January 2013

USA Today – Britain Considers Same-Sex Marriage Bill – 25 January 2013

By Madeline Schiesser
Impunity Watch Reporter, Europe

PRESEVO, Serbia – By order of the Serbian government, 200 heavily armed special police officers, their faces covered, removed a memorial from the ethnically mixed Presevo Valley that bore the names of 27 ethnic Albanian guerrillas killed during a 2000 insurgency in the region.

During and after the Kosovo war (1998-1999, with insurgency in the southern Serbian regions of Presevo, Medvedja, and Bujanovac continuing though 2001), Albanian rebels fought against Serbia.  The Liberation Army of Presevo, Medvedja and Bujanovac (LAPMB) hoped to free these regions from Serbian control and unite with Kosovo.  To Serbian authority, these rebels were seen as terrorists.  However, to ethnic Albanians, they were heroes.  However, the LAPMB laid down their arms under a NATO-brokered peace deal in 2001 in which Serbia agreed to greater rights and economic opportunity for the impoverished South.  Such progress has been slow.  Furthermore, Serbia has never recognized Kosovo’s unilateral declaration of independence in 2008, and still considers it to be a southern province.

The Presevo Valley memorial held particular significance to the Albanian community.  Although there are other memorials in the area, the two-meter (six-foot) rectangular stone monument stood with pride in Presevo’s central square, in front of the local council building.  The slab bore the LAMPB insignia and the inscribed names of the 27 guerillas who died in the insurgency.  It had been erected in December by the primarily ethnic Albanian local council, and local officials refused an order from the Serbian government to remove it by Thursday at 11pm.

In January, several attempts were made to reach a resolution between the government and Presevo authorities, but all were rejected by the Presevo city Hall

Then on Sunday January 20, beginning overnight and backed by armored personnel carriers, 200 heavily armed, masked police officers moved in on Presevo and removed their war memorial.

Declaring that the monument had been erected illegally, Prime Minister Ivica Dacic said, “We showed enough patience. Our clear and strong message is that the law should be respected and that no one is stronger than the state.” He further stated that “no one has the right to humiliate Serbia.”

The removal came only days after the European Union had praised Serbia for making progress in normalizing relations with Kosovo.  Kosovo warned that the removal could hurt EU-mediated talks aimed at such normalizing.

The head of the Albanian National Council in Presevo, Galip Beqiri, called the removal “an unacceptable act of vandalism” and said that plans to launch protests were being discussed.

Accordingly, at least 2,000 ethnic Albanians in Presevo took to the streets on Monday in protest.  They waved Albanian flags and banners that read “Stop discrimination” and “Europe, open your eyes”.

Although both the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) and the United Nations have appealed for calm, several acts of vandalism were reported in Serb cemeteries in Kosovo.  Furthermore, police reported shots fired near a Serbian memorial for the Kosovo war in the western town of Gorazdevac, as well damage to a World War II monument in the eastern town of Vitina.

Albania and Kosovo, both having majority ethnic-Albanian populations, condemned the memorial removal.  The government of Kosovo, in addition to saying the decision would undermine normalization talks, further said in a statement, “This action by the government of Serbia is another proof that the hate against Albanians that live in the Presevo Valley is still alive.”

For further information, please see:

Al Jazeera – Protests After Serbia Removes Memorial – 21 January 2013

RFE/RL – Albanians Protest Removal Of Presevo Monument – 21 January 2013

France24 – Police Remove Monument to Albanian Rebels in Serbia – 20 January 2013

RFE/RL – Serbia Removes Ethnic Albanian Memorial – 20 January 2013

Returns – Police remove Albanian Rebel Memorial in South Serbia – 20 January 2013