One of those arrested on 28 May 2011 at the Moscow rally for sexual minorities was American activist Dan Choi, who in his home country has become the face of the fight against sexual discrimination in the armed forces. Choi appealed to US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to condemn the Russian authorities for their treatment of sexual minorities. France’s Louis-George Tin, the initiator of the International Day Against Homophobia, said that he had been beaten by Neo-Nazis at the Moscow rally.

“I call on you to condemn the Russian authorities’ shameful treatment of the representatives of sexual minorities who participated in the Gay Pride on 28 May,” Choi stated in his appeal, which, according to Newsru.com, had been signed by more than 3,200 people by Sunday morning (29 May) Moscow time.

“The European Court of Human Rights has already issued a judgment against Russia for unlawful banning of Gay Prides, and this was before US citizens and human rights defenders from the world over were hurt when this most recent Gay Pride was broken up on the orders of the Russian government,” said Choi.

French activist Louis-George Tin, initiator of the International Day Against Homophobia said that he had been beaten up by neo-Nazis at the Gay Pride in Moscow.

Special correspondent Elena Kostiuchenko from Novaya gazeta, hospitalized after an attack by an ‘Orthodox Christian’ activist, is set to remain in hospital for a few more days.

Nadezhda Prusenkova, press-secretary for Novaya gazeta told Gazeta.ru: “Suspicions of a concussion, thankfully, have not been confirmed. Elena Kostiuchenko's is diagnosed with a head trauma. She will remain in hospital for a few more days. The doctors are continuing to examine her.”

One of the ‘Orthodox Christian’ activists attacked Elena Kostiuchenko, hitting her several times on the head. He has already been detained.

 

 

 

 

The Moscow Helsinki Group condemned the break-up by the police of the Moscow rally by LGBT activists. “This is yet another violation of the right to peaceful demonstration. The rally was peaceful until the police began to break it up. They had no right to break it up,” Ludmila Alekseeva, head of the Moscow Helsinki Group, said. According to Alekseeva, the fact that LGBT activists were not allowed to hold a public rally in Moscow defines Russia as an undemocratic state.

“This is the sign not only of an uncivilized state, but also of an undemocratic one. Democratic countries respect the rights of minorities. In Russia neither the rights of minorities, nor the rights of the majority, are respected. Only government holds all the rights here,” said Ludmila Alekseeva.