 Source: HRO.org (info) On 14 May Kasparov.ru reported, citing Interfax, that human rights defenders from Human Rights Watch and Moscow Helsinki Group have stated that it is impermissible for the the Moscow city authorities to restrict the right to freedom of assembly for sexual minorities. The reason for the criticism was the refusal by the authorities to permit an LGBT rally on 25 May. "Bans on peaceful assembly of LGBT activists are impermissible,” said the deputy head of the Moscow office of Human Rights Watch, Tatyana Lokshina. "In this way the authorities are showing that they are promoting homophobia, that they share this attitude. Such demonstrations take place without any difficulties in big cities throughout the world,” Lokshina said. Head of the Moscow Helsinki Group Ludmila Alekseeva stated that the attitude of Moscow city authorities to sexual minorities does not correspond with today’s world. "The whole world knows that a person who is of another sexual orientation has a characteristic of which that person cannot be said to be ‘guilty’ in any way. They are normal people. You just have to live and understand: we are like this, and they are like that. That’s all. We’ve llived long enough according to the notions of the 19th century,” Alekseeva urged. Earlier the Moscow city authorities had announced that the do not intend to permit an event organized by the LGBT community in the capital. Activists also applied to hold an event in the so-called ‘Hyde Park’ in the Sokolniki district of Moscow. It has been reported that the authorities in Kostroma and St. Petersburg are allowing LGBT events. |
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