Written declaration No. 541 | Doc. 13191 | 24 April 2013

Violations of the right of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people to freedom of expression and assembly continue unabated in Russia

Signatories: Mr Mogens JENSEN, Denmark, SOC ; Mr Paride ANDREOLI, San Marino, SOC ; Ms Danielle AUROI, France, SOC ; Mr Lennart AXELSSON, Sweden, SOC ; Ms Þuriður BACKMAN, Iceland, UEL ; Mr Gerard BARCIA DUEDRA, Andorra, SOC ; Mr Christian BATAILLE, France, SOC ; Ms Gülsün BİLGEHAN, Turkey, SOC ; Ms Delia BLANCO, Spain, SOC ; Ms Sílvia Eloïsa BONET PEROT, Andorra, SOC ; Ms Lise CHRISTOFFERSEN, Norway, SOC ; Mr Michael CONNARTY, United Kingdom, SOC ; Mr Joseph DEBONO GRECH, Malta, SOC ; Mr Arcadio DÍAZ TEJERA, Spain, SOC ; Mr Jim DOBBIN, United Kingdom, SOC ; Mr Tuur ELZINGA, Netherlands, UEL ; Mr Gvozden Srećko FLEGO, Croatia, SOC ; Mr Gerardo GIOVAGNOLI, San Marino, SOC ; Mr Jonas GUNNARSSON, Sweden, SOC ; Ms Carina HÄGG, Sweden, SOC ; Mr Håkon HAUGLI, Norway, SOC ; Mr Igor KOLMAN, Croatia, ALDE ; Mr George LOUKAIDES, Cyprus, UEL ; Ms Guguli MAGHRADZE, Georgia, SOC ; Ms Vesna MARJANOVIĆ, Serbia, SOC ; Ms Liliane MAURY PASQUIER, Switzerland, SOC ; Mr Jean-Pierre MICHEL, France, SOC ; Ms Melita MULIĆ, Croatia, SOC ; Ms Riitta MYLLER, Finland, SOC ; Ms Carina OHLSSON, Sweden, SOC ; Mr Joseph O'REILLY, Ireland, EPP/CD ; Mr John PRESCOTT, United Kingdom, SOC ; Ms Mette REISSMANN, Denmark, SOC ; Ms Linda RIORDAN, United Kingdom, SOC ; Ms Deborah SCHEMBRI, Malta, SOC ; Mr Stefan SCHENNACH, Austria, SOC ; Ms Marina SCHUSTER, Germany, ALDE ; Mr Frank SCHWABE, Germany, SOC ; Mr Jim SHERIDAN, United Kingdom, SOC ; Ms Nansi TIRELI, Croatia, SOC ; Lord John E. TOMLINSON, United Kingdom, SOC ; Ms Anette TRETTEBERGSTUEN, Norway, SOC ; Mr Nikolaj VILLUMSEN, Denmark, UEL ; Mr Eric VORUZ, Switzerland, SOC ; Ms Draginja VUKSANOVIĆ, Montenegro, SOC ; Ms Karin S. WOLDSETH, Norway, EDG ; Ms Katherine ZAPPONE, Ireland, NR

This written declaration commits only those who have signed it.

On 25 January 2013 the State Duma supported, at first reading, a bill which would prohibit “propaganda of homosexuality among minors”. Ten Russian regions already have such laws. They are a direct attack on the freedom of expression of all LGBT persons, but particularly on the right of young LGBT people to information about sexual orientation and gender identity, a right that has been emphasized by the United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child and the Committee of Ministers.

The right to freedom of assembly continues to be violated. In January protests against the State Duma bill in Voronezh and Moscow were attacked violently. Police present failed to provide protection. In March a rally in the Komi Republic was banned, and the event’s organiser attacked. In March also three St. Petersburg administrative districts and the City Administration rejected nine different sites proposed by activists for demonstrations.

We call upon:

• Russia’s MPs to reject the “propaganda of homosexuality” bill;
• The Russian authorities to uphold the right of LGBT people to freedom of expression and assembly and protect them from acts of violence and discrimination;
• The Committee of Ministers to redouble its efforts to persuade the Russian Federation to respect its treaty obligations.