(May 31, 2006) Paula Ettelbrick, Executive Director of the International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission (IGLHRC) released the following statement in response to violence that erupted last weekend at Russia’s Gay Pride Events in Moscow:

"Public pride rallies and events are essential to free expression for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender communities around the world. Without them, our ability to voice our dissent and change society toward ensuring our human rights is very limited. There is no doubt that the resistance and homophobia of Moscow's mayor helped to stoke homophobic violence against a small group of lesbians and gay men who simply tried to stage a peaceful, visible presence in lieu of the gay pride parade they had hoped for. The State has the legal obligation to protect its citizens from mob violence such as this, not to stir it up and then stand back and watch it happen. The city of Moscow has defied its human rights obligation."

The Moscow-based organizers were originally turned down in their request to hold a full pride rally when Mayor Luzhkov banned the parade. On May 23, IGLHRC called on Mayor Luzhkov of Moscow to rescind his ban of Moscow’s first gay pride parade. In a letter sent to Mayor Luzhkov, IGLHRC declared that his ban is a clear violation of the European Convention on Human Rights to which Russia has agreed to by international treaties and that it directly contravenes Russia’s own Constitution.

Organizers then attempted to hold small public events at key historical locations in the city, including in Manezhnaya Square and Tverskaya Street. It was at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier that violence erupted when anti-gay protestors attacked organizers and participants. Special police forces failed to protect the organizers and even arrested them.

The International Gay and Lesbian Association in Europe (IGLA-Europe) reported violence and Moscow Militia’s failure to ensure order and protect pride event participants on Sunday, May 28. Maxim Anmeghichean, Programmes Director for IGLA-Europe, reported, “there were around 30-40 pride event participants, mostly foreigners, and anywhere between 200-300 extremist opponents, and according to the local news reports, over 1,000 OMON [special police forces] to ensure public order. Pride participants, Russian Orthodox extremists and nationalist were dragged by OMON into special buses and taken to the police station.” It was also reported that Russian Orthodox extremists were “tracking down and beating up anyone who looked ‘LGBT’ or was a foreigner.”

For more information on the reports of violence, please visit: http://www.ilga-europe.org/europe/news/moscow_pride_27_may_2006/gay_pride_events_in_moscow_erupts_in_violence_moscow_militia_fails_to_ensure_order