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LATVIA
Citing National Security, Court Says No To Riga Gay Pride
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Tatchell Hits Out: “A dangerous precedent which is a threat to the democratic rights all the Latvians” |
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RIGA, July 21, 2006 – The Administrative Court in Riga has this afternoon upheld the decision of the City authorities to ban the Gay Pride Parade, due to be held tomorrow, on the grounds of “national security” and concerns over public order. The court hearing was held in closed session. The security grounds had been declared a “state secret” and as a result the reasons will not be known for five years. Earlier today, organisers of Gay Pride said that “regardless of the outcome, we will not organise any illegal event”. Members of Latvia’s LGBT organisation Mozaika, which brought the suit against the Riga City Council have expressed their shock and disappointment at the court’s decision. “The decision is reflective of not only the failure of the executive branch of government to uphold the basic principles of democracy, but also that of the judicial branch,” said Linda Freimane, founding member and board member of Mozaika and organizer of Riga Pride 2006. “The decision of the Administrative Court has turned the debate on LGBT rights in Latvia into a debate on democracy in Latvia in general, and raises the question of whether the country is in fact capable of hosting such a high-security and high-profile event as the NATO Summit in Riga later this year.” Mozaika plans to appeal the court’s decision, which it can do within the next 20 days. If necessary they are also considering the possibility of taking their case to the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg. Furthermore, they are considering the possibility of a legal action to gain access to the secret documents that were used as the basis for the Riga City Council’s decision to prohibit the parade, so that they can make a proper evaluation of the threats made against parade participants. Tonight, Mozaika is discussing what public event will take place tomorrow, in place of the Pride Parade. It will not be a march, but it will be a public event, and, most importantly, it will take place fully within the bounds of the law, the organisers stress. They are working to attract as much media attention as possible, in order to gain international exposure, which could in turn result in international pressure on the government. This afternoon they hosted a reception in conjunction with Riga Pride and Friendship Days, at which foreign dignitaries from Denmark, Sweden, Spain, The Netherlands, Germany, Israel, the United Kingdom and the United States were present. UK gay rights campaigner Peter Tatchell, who is attending Riga Pride and Friendship Days, was in the court today. “The court refused to disclose the nature of the threats against Riga Gay Pride or who made these threats,” he said. The judges declared the nature of the threats to be a “state secret” which must remain classified for five years. “Lawyers for Riga Pride were required to sign a statement that they will not disclose the nature of the threats or the security grounds – not even to their clients. “This decision contradicts Latvia’s agreed commitment to democracy and human rights as a member of the EU and the Council of Europe,” Mr. Tatchell continued. “Violating Latvian and European law, it is an attack on the right to protest and freedom of expression. This ruling sets a dangerous precedent, which is a threat to the democratic rights for all the Latvians. “It’s a surprising judgement in many ways. Two of the three judges did not look conservative, conventional types. One had pink stripes in her hair and the other one in a wheel chair wore bright lime green trainers. “Appearances can obviously be deceiving,” said Mr Tatchell. In New York, the The International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission (IGLHRC) was the first in the United States to the court ruling. “This is a particularly harsh set-back for the LGBT community in Latvia considering that last year the court sided with pride organizers in allowing the march to proceed,” said Paula Ettelbrick, executive director of IGLHRC. - Additional reporting by Nikolai Alexeyev, GayRussia.ru This article will be updated as more information comes in. LINKS
OTHER RIGA PRIDE COVERAGE
Neo-Nazis Terrorise Riga Gay Pride Rally.
By Peter Tatchell. Neo-Nazi, Christian fundamentalist and extreme
nationalist protesters terrorised participants at the Gay Pride rally in the
Latvian capital of Riga last Saturday (July 22, 2006). Private armed guards
were drafted in to provide security, after the Latvian police repeatedly
failed to halt the aggression of the homophobic mob.
(UK
Gay News, July 22, 2006)
Riga Gay
Pride: “The Story That Needs To Be Told”.
Open Letter From Lars.
Dearest friends: I am writing this in English since the story needs to be
told far and wide. This is the story from my perspective. Everyone else who
was there will have other stories to share. Gaston and I are safe after yesterday's well-organized
fascist attacks against the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered
community in Riga during Pride.
(UK
Gay News, July 22, 2006)
Gay Pride Organisers "Trapped" in Riga Hotel
– Rescued by Cabinet Minister
Organisers of Riga Gay Pride
have been "rescued" after being trapped for hours in the in the Reval Latvia Hotel, with "hysterical"
protesters surrounding the building. (UK
Gay News, July 22, 2006)
Riga Gay Pride: Putting the European Union to the Test.
Commentary.
Sophie In’t Veld, the Dutch MEP and a vice president of
the European Parliament’s Intergroup for gay and lesbian rights did not
mince her words. “It’s putting Europe to the test,” she charged.
(UK
Gay News, July 22, 2006)
Prohibiting Gay Rights March Is Blow for
Democracy.
Commentary by
Mozaīka. ...
Democracy is being held hostage by the
strengthening forces of extremism in Latvian society. These forces have
been encouraged by the unwillingness of the political elite to rein them in,
and indeed by the continuous barrage of hate speech indulged in with
impunity by many politicians themselves.
(UK
Gay News, July 22, 2006)
Riga Gay Pride: It's Worse Than Moscow.
By Nikolai Alexeyev. It is astonishing. It’s worse than Moscow.
There is total chaos here. The police seem very weak and disorganized. The
fascists are able to act at will. And Latvia is in the European Union.
(UK
Gay News, July 22, 2006)
Riga Gay Pride: We Will
Not Organise Any Illegal Event. As the decision of the
Administrative Court as to whether or not tomorrow’s Gay Pride March in Riga
can go ahead, organisers said today that “regardless of the outcome, we will
not organise any illegal event”.
(UK
Gay News, July 21, 2006)
Riga Gay Pride March Ban
Is Wrong Says, Euro-MP Cashman. Labour MEP Michael Cashman has reacted with anger at the decision by authorities in
Latvia to ban this year’s Pride march which was scheduled for this Saturday
(22nd July).
(UK
Gay News, July 20, 2006)
Latvian President and
Amnesty Both Condemn Restriction of LGBT Rights. The President of
Latvia and Amnesty International (AI) have both issued statements this
morning following yesterday’s decision by the Riga City Council to ban this
weekend’s planned Gay Pride march in the capital.
(UK
Gay News, July 19, 2006)
A Blow for Democracy: Riga
Council Denies Permit for Gay Pride March. The Riga city council
this morning denied a permit Saturday’s “Riga Pride 2006” march. The city council justified its
decision by invoking threats of violence allegedly received from extremist
groups – and the police’s inability to guarantee security and order during
the march. (UK Gay News, July 19, 2006)
Latvian Priest Strongly
Supports Riga Gay Pride. An
English translation of an interview with openly gay Maris Sants conducted by
GayRussia website.
(UK Gay News, July 17, 2006)
Tension and Uncertainty
Rising Around Second Gay Pride in Riga. Latvian interior minister Dzintars Jaundžeikars went on record last week that the
Interior Ministry would not be able to provide adequate security during this
year’s Pride March, scheduled to be held on Saturday (July 22).
(UK Gay News, July 16, 2006)
Prominent Foreign Politicians to Take Part in Riga Pride.
Several European
politicians will be taking part in Friendship Days and Riga Gay Pride, due
to take place in the Latvian capital next week. (UK Gay News, July 16,
2006)
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Posted: 21 July 2006 at 17:00 (UK time) - Updated at 18:00, 21:00 and 23:00