Human rights complaint: Russia ignores anti-gay attacks

Colin Stewart is a 45-year journalism veteran living in Southern…

The Russian LGBT rights group Coming Out has filed a complaint at the European Court of Human Rights yesterday, accusing the Russian government of routinely ignoring homophobic attacks on LGBT rights protesters. This is the group’s press release:

LGBT rights marchers in St. Petersburg, Russia, on May 1, 2013. (Photo courtesy of Coming Out)

“Coming Out” Files Complaint to ECHR against Homohobic Hate Crime
On August 11, “Coming Out” lawyers filed a complaint to the European Court of Human Rights against the homophobic attack on an activist during the International Day against Homophobia “Rainbow Flashmob” rally of May 2012.
On May 17, 2012, Gleb Likhotkin, a “Christian orthodox activist”, shot Boris Romanov with a gas gun. The latter was holding a balloon saying “Jesus loves men and women equally” during “Coming Out”s annual LGBT rally, “Rainbow Flashmob.” The attack resulted in chemical injuries to Boris’ face and eyes. The offender faced trial and was found guilty of hooliganism with the use of a weapon; the victim was awarded moral compensation. The motive of homophobic hatred, i.e. hatred towards a social group LGBT, was not taken into account either by the court or by the investigators. In 2014, the lawsuit was dismissed due to amnesty.
The complaint states that the Russian government violated three articles of the European Convention. First, the police and the judges did not consider seriously the homophobic motive of the attack, violating the ban on humiliating treatment (Article 3). Secondly, the right to freedom of assembly was violated, because the shot was fired during the public event, and the police should have provided the participants with enough security (Article 11). Finally, the applicant and his lawyer point at discrimination based on sexual orientation (Article 14).
“Coming Out” lawyers emphasize that the police regularly refuses to investigate crimes against LGBT which occur during peaceful meetings. In 2013 there were several similar attacks, including the beating of four participants of the St. Petersburg pride event on June 29th; the attack on the office of “LaSky” organization in November, resulting in one activist losing sight in one eye, and another hit on the back. None of these crimes was qualified as a hate crime, which normally implies a more serious punishment.
European Court of Human Rights has never passed a judgment on complaints from victims of homophobic or transphobic hate crimes, and this precedent would protect LGBT communities in the future in many countries, not the least in Russia, where a positive decision would help to ensure proper investigations and stop impunity for homophobic perpetrators.
This was the report on the St. Petersburg’s celebration of the International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia in 2012:

Russia IDAHO Report 2012

May 17 celebration in St. Petersburg, Russia, marking the day in 1990 when the World Health Organization removed homosexuality from its list of mental disorders. (Photo courtesy of Queer Russia)

Activists in St Petersburg commemorated IDAHO 2012 with an officially authorized mass rally involving more than 300 people. The rally was not without incident, with 100-150 members of nationalist groups, soccer fans and aggressive clerical groups on the scene to chant extremist homophobic slogans and prepared to charge at the protestors.
A line of police acted as a buffer and were able to hold them at bay. More than 500 rainbow balloons were launched into the skies to symbolize activists’ dream of a world free from homophobia and hate.
Representatives from democratic political parties and human rights organizations spoke of the importance of joining forces against the growing tide of intolerance in society.
Despite both the rally organizers and police provided buses to take the participants to safety, violence could not be avoided and two activists were attacked.
In addition to the rally, about 100 people gathered in Khabarovsk to release balloons as part of the global RainbowFlash mobilization against homophobia. RainbowFlash was also held in Tyumen, Tomsk, Omsk, Perm, Novosibirsk, Moscow, Arkhangelsk, Astrakhan, Vladivostok, Samara, Syktyvkar, Ufa, Pskov and Voronezh.
The US Embassy in Russia marked the Day with a Roundtable in Defense of LGBT Rights, which hosted a dialog between the Embassy and Civil Rights activists.