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Slovenia Expresses Concern Over Action Taken Against Moscow Gay Pride

LJUBLJANA, May 17, 2009  –  Samuel Žbogar, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Slovenia and chairman of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe, last night expressed his concern about the action taken against the organisers of the Slavic Gay Pride parade in Moscow.

“People belonging to sexual minorities enjoy the same right to freedom of expression and to freedom of assembly as any other individual within the jurisdiction of a member state of the Council of Europe,” a statement issued by the Foreign Affairs Department in Ljubljana.

“According to the established case law of the European Court of Human Rights, peaceful demonstrations cannot be banned simply because of the existence of attitudes hostile to the demonstrators or to the causes they advocate.

“The fact that this is not the first year such a situation has developed is of concern to the Chairman of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe,” the statement concluded.

Slovenia took over the chairmanship of the Committee of Ministers five days ago.

Russia is a member country of the Council of Europe.  There are currently some 150 cases pending in the European Court of Human Rights against Russia over gay rights issues.

SEE ALSO

40 Arrested as Moscow Anti-Riot Police Use Violence to Break Up Slavic Gay Pride March.  Moscow police have used what the watching media describe as violent and oppressive tactics to break-up the peaceful Slavic Gay Price march in the city.  (UK Gay News, May 16, 2009)

Gay Pride in Moscow: Report from a Chicago Activist.  By Andy Thayer (Gay Liberation Network).  After 14 hours of flights, last night I found myself in Eastern Europe for the first time in my life, warmly greeted by lesbian and gay activists who, despite state repression, are organizing their fourth annual pride event in this city.  This year’s event is dubbed ‘Slavic Pride’, denoting the significant participation of activists from around the region.  (UK Gay News, May 15, 2009)

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