■ Nikolai Khramov

MOSCOW, June 8, 2007 (GayRussia.ru)  –  One of the three organisers of Moscow Pride has escaped a jail sentence and was fined when found guilty this afternoon in a Moscow court which threw-out evidence, given at a previous hearing by a number of MPs from Europe, as “frivolous”.

Nikolai Khramov was charged under the Code on Administrative Offences (h. 1  Art. 19.3 – disobedience of legitimate demands of the police).  He was fined 1,000 roubles (£20, €29, $39) by the Tver District Magistrates Court.  The maximum sentence is 15 days imprisonment.

In the first hearing, held on May 28, a day after the arrest, the court heard witnesses for the defence, including journalist Alexander Podrabinek; a member of the European Parliament Marco Cappato; an official of the European Parliament, Mardzokki Ottavio; and the German Bundestag member Volker Beck.

The magistrate at today’s hearing said that their testimony is not “trusted by the court [and] considers them frivolous”.

Alexander Ostrovsky, the counsel, provided by the Russian Duma deputy Alexei Mitrofanov, for Mr. Khramov, filed a motion challenging the judge in the case because of her clear sympathy to one side.  The judge denied the claim.

The court interrogated two policemen A. Gogolev and V. Zhukov as well as deputy head of public security militia of Tverskoi district of Moscow S. Medyanikov.

All of them gave contradicting evidence insisting that Nikolai Khramov committed administrative offence though they were unable to say the form of disobedience.

Mr. Ostrovsky presented photographic evidence, including photographs from the Agence France-Presse (AFP) news agency showing the moment of arrest, to support Mr. Khramov’s ‘not guilty’ plea.  But magistrate Tatyana Neverova, refused to accept them.

The guilty verdict against Mr. Khramov can be appealed to the Tverskoy District Court of Moscow in the next ten days. No decision has yet been made whether or not to appeal.

”Clearly, judge Neverovoy’s decision was motivated by … the reports on May 27 of the police officers who arrested us,” commented Nikolai Alekseev, who is in court tomorrow facing the same charge.

“For the police to avoid responsibility for our detention for one day, the court had no choice but to find  Nikolai Khramov guilty of the administrative offence of which he was accused.

“The cynicism of the decision can only shock

“The judge rejected the evidence of leading European politicians and had based their decision only on the statements of the police ,” he added. 

The same judge will hear the cases against the other two Pride organizers, Mr. Alekseev at 9am (Moscow time) and Sergei Konstantinov, an activist with the “free radicals”) at 4.30pm.

Similar verdicts are expected.

Moscow May Yuri Luzhkov banned the planned Gay Pride Parade in Moscow last month.

A small group of foreign visitors to Pride joined Russian gays in a visit to City Hall to hand-in a letter of protest signed by more than 50 Members of the European Parliament.

It was when the protest letter was about to be handed in that the police targeted the three organisers, arrested and detained them.

OTHER MOSCOW PRIDE 2007 COVERAGE

Moscow Pride:  A Photo Essay.  Eight photographs from l Moscow Pride. 2007

Principal Moscow Gay Pride Organiser Alekseev Also Guilty.  The main organiser of Moscow Gay Pride was today found guilty of disobeying police officers while breaching traffic rules on May 27 as he and other activists, including European parliamentarians tried to deliver a petition to Moscow City Hall signed by around 50 Members of the European Parliament.  (UK Gay News, June 9)

Moscow Gay Pride: Tatchell’s Assailant Not Arrested, Say Police. Moscow police confirm that they have opened a criminal investigation into the assault on British gay human rights campaigner, Peter Tatchell, at last Sunday's Moscow Gay Pride event.  But official police claims that they have arrested the right-wing extremist who punched Mr Tatchell in the face are untrue, according to the investigating officer.  (UK Gay News, June 1)

Portuguese Gay Group Slams Russia, the EU and Portugal’s PM Over Moscow Pride.  The Portuguese gay and lesbian group Panteras Rosa (Pink Panthers) today hit out against the Russian authorities after the weekend’s violence in Moscow during Gay Pride.  (UK Gay News, May 29).

European Union Must Impose Travel Ban on Moscow Mayor of Gay Pride Trouble – Greens.  The British Green Party has today called for a European Union travel ban on the Mayor of Moscow, Yuri Luzhkov, following violence in the streets of the capital on Sunday during Gay Pride – and heavy-handed police tactics which saw many arrests.  (UK Gay News, May 28)

Beach, or Beaten in Moscow?  Commentary by Sara Whitman.  I sat at the beach today, and wondered how many people thought Allan and I, with Zachary in tow, thought we were heterosexual.  Okay, Allan in his tiny Speedo and me in my giant one piece Speedo and, of course, gym shorts, were not exactly looking incredibly straight but the image was enough to bother me.  I had read this morning that over thirty gay activists had been arrested in Moscow.  (UK Gay News, May 28)

Date For Next Year's Moscow Gay Pride Announced Tonight - May 31, 2008.  Within hours of being released by a Moscow Court after being arrested at yesterday’s “gay Pride” and kept in police custody overnight, Nikolai Alekseev had met with others on the Moscow Gay Pride Committee to discuss the future.  (UK Gay News, May 28)

London Mayor Appeals to Moscow For End of Gay Pride Ban.   Following yesterday’ violence against lesbian and gay rights demonstrators in Moscow – and the arrest of several of the demonstrators – the Mayor of London Ken Livingstone has this morning written to his Moscow counterpart Mayor Luzhkov urging that no charges be brought against those who were demonstrating for lesbian and gay rights.  (UK Gay News, May 28)

Gay Pride Organisers Alekseev and Two Others Await Court  – 15 Days In Prison Expected.  Nikolai Alekseev and two colleagues from Moscow Gay Pride are spending tonight in police custody at they await a court appearance later this morning.  (UK Gay News, May 28)

Ahwazi Arabs Condemn Arrest of Gay Rights Demonstrators in Moscow.  Ahwazi Arab activists last night condemned the treatment of gay rights activist Peter Tatchell and other demonstrators in Moscow yesterday.  (UK Gay News, May 28)

Peter Tatchell Speaks About His Experience of Gay Pride, the Assault and His Arrest.  Arrests and violent attacks marred today’s attempted Moscow Gay Pride march.  Fifteen to 20 marchers were arrested.  The organiser of Moscow Pride, Nikolai Alekseev, is being detained overnight at Moscow’s Tverskoi district police station, together with two prominent members of Russia’s Radical and Free Radical parties, Nikolai Khramov and Sergei Konstantinov.  British gay human rights campaigner Peter Tatchell was one of several Gay Pride marchers who were beaten today by gangs of neo-Nazis, nationalist extremists and Russian Orthodox fundamentalists.  (UK Gay News, May 27)

Arrested Gay Pride Activist Asks World for Help.  From inside the Tverskoye police station, where he is being detained, Nikolai Alekseev – one of the Moscow Gay Pride organisers and its spokesperson – has issued a statement asking for international support and for the immediate release of all the gays activists currently being held.  (UK Gay News, May 27)

Moscow Gay Pride: Dispatches from the Front.  There was trouble in Moscow today when participants at Gay Pride,, led by a number of European politicians, tried to deliver a letter of protest to Mayor Yuri Luzhkov at City Hall.  Violence flared as they faced groups of neo-Facist thugs, religious groups, aggressive police and the OMON.  This is a "record" of the dispatches received by UK Gay News from many sources.  (UK Gay News, May 27)

Tatchell at Moscow Gay Pride: We Are In This Fight Together.  Greetings!  I bring you a message of comradeship and solidarity from the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex [LGBTI] human rights organizations OutRage! in London.  Your struggle is our struggle. This is the full text of Peter Tatchell's keynote speech to the Moscow Gay Pride Conference yesterday .  (UK Gay News, May 27)

Moscow Gay Pride 2006: Where Were the Human Rights Campaigners? The Same Question Can be Asked Today.  The following commentary by GayRussia.ru was written a year ago.  Has the situation changed?  The stark answer is: “Not really”.   Ludmila Alekseeva of the Moscow Helsinki Group and Lev Ponomarev of the Movement for Human Rights have both declined to come, just as last year.  (UK Gay News, May 27)

Moscow Gay Pride Blog. (UK Gay News, May 26)

Moscow City Hall Quiet as 120 Journalists Check In For Moscow Gay Pride.  With Gay Pride about to start, Moscow is surprisingly quiet.  Not a single official statement has been released by Mayor of Moscow, unlike at the same time last year.  (UK Gay News, May 26)

Tatchell: The Right To Hold Moscow Pride Is Not Just an Issue of Gay, Lesbian Rights.  International solidarity can help give a psychological and practical boost to local LGBT activists, Peter Tatchell said shortly after arriving in Moscow for the city’s second Gay Pride.  (UK Gay News, May 25)

She Promises, She Delivers – Vladimir Luxuria in Moscow for Gay Pride.  An interview with Europe's first trangendered politician.  (UK Gay News, May 25)

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