Russia: Moscow Pride organisers file court appeal over declined application to hold events
The organisers of several gay pride events in the Russian capital city Moscow, have filed a complaint with a local court, as the applications to hold the events were denied.
LGBT activists in Russia, earlier this week filed a request to hold pride on 25 May in the Russian capital, but the application was declined.
Top security official, Alexei Mayorov, said on Wednesday: “We have sent a notification to the organizers that we have not given a go-ahead to the event.”
An application to picket in Moscow’s Sokolniki Park was also declined.
The organisers of the events have contacted the Tverskoi District Court, and requested that it should rule on the case before the events were due to take place.
The claimants also plan to file complaints with Moscow’s Tagansky District Court, and the Khimki City Court, around the events which had been planned for 26 and 25 May.
Mayorov cited a “negative attitude” towards the idea of a gay pride march as the reason for its application being turned down.
He went on to warn against possible attempts to hold the event anyway, saying: “If the organizers still try to hold the event, a certain reaction will follow and the action will be thwarted.”
In August last year, Nikolay Alexeyev, founder of Moscow Gay Pride, had an appeal against the century-long ban on the parade rejected by Moscow City Court.
A law in the city of St Petersburg law equates homosexuality with paedophilia and was passed by the city on February 29 of last year – despite more than 270,000 people signing an online petition against the measure.
Last year, St Petersburg authorities permitted a rally against homophobia, but its participants were attacked by masked thugs, none of whom were arrested.
