Russia: Ryazan Court Finds Nikolai Baev and Irina Fet, Gay Activists, Guilty of Popularizing Homosexuality

Photo: Irina Fet, Daniil Goodwin and Nikolai Baev

by Nicolas Alexeyev

A court in Ryazan has found the organizers of two public events protesting homophobia guilty of popularizing homosexuality and ruled they be fined 1,500 rubles each (34 Eur).

Nikolay Bayev and Irina Fet were found guilty of popularizing homosexuality among minors and the court ruled to fine them 1,500 rubles each, an organizer of the Moscow gay parade Nikolay Alexeyev told Interfax.
On March 30, the gay activists staged public event demonstrating posters reading, “Homosexuality is normal” and “I am proud of my homosexuality”.The judge ordered the posters be destroyed.

Sexual minorities held their rallies near schools and near a regional children's library, the court said.

"We will now file a complaint with the Russian Constitutional Court and later the European Court,” Alexeyev said. Article 3.10 banning the propaganda of homosexuality “is anti-constitutional and must be repealed,” he said. “The Ryazan region is the only region of the Russian Federation where this article is applied,” Alexeyev said.