Russia continues to violate freedom of expression and association of LGBTI people
The Russian Side-by-Side LGBT Festival (7th - 11th July) in Archenglsk was effectively banned as a result of pressure from regional and City administration. A Moscow District Court upheld the refusal to register an NGO advocating for marriage equality for same sex unions as this might call for a change in existing Russian legislation.
Despite the fact, that the Department of Culture and Youth had assured the local organizers of the film festival and the Northern Council of Ministers that the series of events planned for 7th – 11th July could go ahead, an online article on June 29 caused the well-known “allergic” reaction. Just as in 2008 in St. Peterburg, all venues backed out from previously made agreements. Obviously, they had received pressure from the regional and City Administration.
Due to “force major”: the arrival of a government delegation, fire checks, alarm at the possibility of unrest in the city or simply without explanation, the festival was refused. A new quality is that the festival organizers were refused accommodation. Hotel-rooms, which had been booked and paid for two weeks in advance were not longer available due to the “visit of a governmental delegation from Moscow”. Further on, the organizers told that all attempts to book accommodation for them at any hotel either private or municipal in the city were without results. No room for Side by Side even in half empty hotels. This line of reasoning sounds familiar: In Moscow, public LGBT events had been refused this year as the chosen locations were already reserved by Putin fans.
More information on the LGBT Side-by-Side Film festival
Worrying is also the decision by the Gagarin district court in Moscow. It upheld on July 20th an earlier refusal of the Ministry of Justice to register an openly gay NGO. Advocating for the recognition of same sex unions in Russia is too aventureuse for the Ministry Justice. It held that "the founding documents of the organization conflicts with the laws of the Russian Federation”. GayRussia.Ru cites the Ministry’s during the hearing that it cannot register an organization whose purpose is to call for changes in the existing legislation. How such an argument be in line with the freedom of expression, guaranteed by the Russian constitution. Does this mean, that any NGO interested in advancing (citizen) rights in Russia can be denied registration following this line of argumentation?
