05.06.2006 For rights of Lesbians, gays, AC-DC and transsexuals

Karelian department of the “Youth Human Rights Group” addresses to the President of the Russian Federation V.Putin an open letter in which we condemn a flash of violence and dispersal of the orderly demonstration for rights of Lesbians, gays, AC-DC and transsexuals that took place in Moscow on the 27th of May. The “Youth remedial group” has joined to the protest actions against homophobia and running on Fascist lines in Russian society and the Establishment that had been organized by the “International Lesbian and Gay Association” by buildings of Russian embassies. The letter reads as follows: “On the eve of Russia’s presidency in Council of Europe on the 27th of May Moscow authorities dispersed the orderly demonstration for rights of Lesbians, gays, AC-DC and transsexuals without ensuring their safety. It has ended with recurrence of violence by Orthodox extremists and neo-Nazi groups against the participants of the demonstration and those who had supported them. At the beginning of May the major of Moscow U.Luzhkov refused to give permission for realization of a gay-parade. Such discriminating actions and mass hysteria on account of people with off-centre sexual orientation and those who had changed their sex we regard as a breach of human rights and a trample of European values that includes tolerance and civic equality. Such sad events absolutely do not conform to the role that Russia intends to play in the nearest future in Europe where homophobia is a crime similar to public critic of authority in Russia.