By Brianne Yantz
Impunity Watch Reporter, Europe
MOSCOW, Russia – On Friday, a court in St. Petersburg fined prominent gay rights activist Nikolai Alexeyev for promoting homosexuality under a new municipal law that outlaws the distribution of “gay propaganda.”
After his conviction, Alexeyev announced the decision by taking to the social media site Twitter and asking his followers, “who can pay my fine for gay propaganda in St. Petersburg?”
Alexeyev was arrested in April for picketing St. Petersburg city hall with a poster that said: “Homosexuality is not a perversion. Perversion is hockey on the grass and ballet on ice.” He was fined 5,000 rubles ($170 USD). He said he plans to appeal against the decision if it is upheld later this week and will bring the issue before the European Court of Human Rights, if necessary.
The legislation, which was enacted in March of this year by local lawmakers, has drawn international criticism with human rights activists and organizations denouncing the law as homophobic and unjust. As John Dalhuisen, the Europe and Central Asia director at Amnesty International, explained, “such laws threaten freedom of expression and fuel discrimination against the city’s lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex (LGBTI) community.”
Under the new law, public LGBTI events and demonstrations are effectively banned because of the pretext that the law is protecting minors. Furthermore, informational leaflets on rights or assistance or available advice are also severely restricted.
This suppression of LGBTI awareness from the public eye has driven concerns that the new legislation violates the rights of freedom of expression and assembly, as well as the right to non-discrimination and equality before the law. Such rights have been guaranteed by various international human rights treaties to which Russia is a party.
According to Amnesty International, the anti-gay propaganda legislation in St. Petersburg was influenced by similar actions in other regions of the nation such as Arkhangelsk and Riazan. Additionally, laws that seek to ban “propaganda of homosexuality” are currently underway in regions such as Samara and Novosibirsk.
Despite the backlash, Moscow’s Mayor, Sergei Sobyanin, has defended the anti-gay legislation in Russia, arguing that gay gatherings are offensive to the religious beliefs of many Russians.
For more information, please see:
NY Times – Russia: Gay Rights Activist Fined – 5 May 2012
Boston Herald – Gay Leader in Russia Convicted, Fined – 5 May 2012
Amnesty International – Amnesty International Urges Russia To Reconsider Anti-Gay Laws, Condemns the Fining of Prominent Activist – 4 May 2012
BBC News – Gay Rights Campaigner Fined in Russia for ‘Propaganda’ – 4 May 2012
