Russia: Pride organisers awarded £36 ‘compensation’ over event ban
Organisers of a Pride parade in Russia have been granted a paltry amount of compensation after their event was banned from going ahead.
A court in Kostroma this week ruled that activist Nikolai Alexeyev was entitled to ‘moral damages’ after a Pride event he organised was forcibly cancelled.
However, the minuscule settlement amounted to just 3000 roubles (£36) – unlikely to make much headway into recovering the costs of the event.
The same court ordered authorities to pay Mr Alexeyev over 8000 roubles (£97) in October as pecuniary damages and legal fees – bringing the total to just £133.
Despite the small amount, it marks the first time that Mr Alexeyev – who founded Moscow’s Pride parade – has ever been compensated by the authorities.
He claimed: “It is a label attached to the Russian Federation by other countries, especially by those which have criminal responsibility for people of non-traditional sexual orientation.
“Russia recognizes and does not infringe on the rights of non-traditional sexual orientation.
“[Homosexuality] is not the choice of our society, but those are people whose rights are not cut.
“We are not punishing anyone, but traditional family, healthy nation — those are our choices.”
