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European Court Fines Russia for Banning Gay Parades

   VOA News 21 October 2010
   Russian gay activist Nikolai Alexeyev (file photo)

Photo: AP

   Russian gay activist Nikolai Alexeyev (file photo)

   The  European  Union's  Court  of  Human  Rights  has fined Russia for
   banning homosexual parades in Moscow.
   The  Strasbourg-based  court  ruled Thursday that gay rights organizer
   Nikolai   Alexeyev   was   discriminated   against   based  on  sexual
   orientation. It ordered Russia to pay more than $41,000 in damages and
   court costs to Alexeyev.
   Alexeyev told the court he and other organizers were denied permission
   to  hold  gay  pride  marches  in  2006, 2007 and 2008.  The European
   rights   court  said  the  risk  of  a  disturbance  stemming  from  a
   demonstration was not sufficient to justify banning the parade.
   Former  Moscow  Mayor  Yury  Luzhkov  once  described  gay  parades as
   "satanic."Â   He  was  fired  last  month  by Russian President Dmitry
   Medvedev.

   Some information for this report was provided by AP and Reuters.

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