Three Russian gay activists were arrested today in the northern city of  Arkhangelsk.

Nikolay Alekseev, Alexey Kiselev and Kirill Nepomnyaschiy were arrested under the 'homosexual propoganda' law while conducting 'solitary' pickets next to a children's library.

The trio have now been charged and bailed.

Police had previously allowed similar pickets but two of the group had earlier unfurled a 20m long rainbow flag outside the regional government building.

They had also held similar protests in the city without incident.

Last month five activists were arrested in Kostroma, north-east of Moscow, as they held protests in the third Russian region to pass a law banning so-called propaganda of homosexuality to minors.

In July the UN Human Rights Committee will consider the complaint of Irina Fedotova against Russia on the legality of the ban of homosexual propaganda in Ryazan, the first such law, where she was arrested in 2009.

A similar case of Nikolai Baev against Russia is awaiting consideration by the European Court of Human Rights.

Rights group GayRussia is pushing for the court to expedite consideration of this case.