The council of Europe demanded that Russia’s LGBT community would be guaranteed the right of expression and demonstrations, as the country continues to clamp down on gay events and rights.

In a press conference held in Moscow today (22 May) Thorbjorn Jagland, secretary-general of the Council of Europe (CoE) delivered a stern message to Russia regarding gay rights.

Press Secretary of the Kostroma Oblast Court Julia Medvedeva announced the court ruled illegal a ban on gay pride marches in the region and on two rallies against the local law prohibiting propaganda of homosexuality among minors.

‘The Civil Chamber of Kostroma Regional Court granted the appeal of Moscow Pride and events founder Nikolai Alekseev against the decision of Sverdlovsk District Court’, said Medvedeva today (20 March).

Russia’s parliament should reject a proposed bill banning gay ‘propaganda’, Human Rights Watch said today (11 December).

The Duma, the lower chamber of parliament, is scheduled to discuss plans to fine individuals, government officials and organizations that ‘promote’ homosexuality to anyone under 18.

The United Nations Human Rights Committee (UNHRC) found Russia’s application of Ryazan region anti ‘homosexual propaganda’ law against LGBT rights activist Irina Fedotov to be in breach of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights on the grounds of freedom of expression and discrimination.

LGBT activists say that this historic landmark ruling will have far reaching effect not only in Russia but worldwide on other countries that legislated, or plan to, laws against ‘homosexual propaganda’ such as Lithuania and the Ukraine.

The Council of Europe Committee of Ministers once again sharply criticized the Russian authorities for failing to implement the recommendations of the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) in the case, ‘Alekseyev v. Russia’.

On 21 October 2010 Nikolay Alexeyev, a Russian LGBT rights advocate, won a case before the European Court concerning prohibition of 2006, 2007 and 2008 Moscow Pride marches and picketings.

Activists in Russia plan to out gay politicians if they continue to support a ban on Pride House at the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi.

Russian lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender campaigners had planned the venue to be a meeting place for gay athletes and their supporters with events including a sports competition and photo exhibition.

Despite appeals, local courts upheld a decision to ban Pride House, with a judge claiming it was ‘extremist’ and could provoke ‘social-religious hatred'.

Three members of Russian female punk band Pussy Riot have been jailed for two years for staging an anti-Putin protest which spoke out for gay rights.

Maria Alekhina, Ekaterina Samutsevich and Nadezhda Tolokonnikova were found guilty today (17 August) of 'hooliganism on the grounds of religious hatred' for singing a protest song in Moscow’s central Orthodox cathedral.

Russian social network VKontakte has sparked fury after it banned a user from stating he was in a gay relationship.

A male user known only as Oleg allegedly wrote to the network's administrators for help after being unable to select the ‘boyfriend’ option under his relationship status.

However, Oleg was outraged after the website refused to help him change his status.

While the website’s response have sparked anger from many in Russia’s LGBT community, gay rights activist Nikolai Alekseev says protests against the decision will have little impact.

Russian gay rights activist Nikolai Alekseev says he will seek compensation after a court cleared him of illegally organizing a gay pride protest in Moscow.

LGBT campaigners defied a ban on a pride rally in Russia’s capital by picketing the country’s parliament, the Duma, and city hall on 27 May.

Police arrested 40 people, including Alekseev, for holding an unauthorized demonstration to mark the anniversary of the abolition of an anti-gay sodomy law in 1993.

On Saturday (23 June), the 12th pride parade called March for Equality took place in Santiago with over 80,000 people demanding further advancement of LGBT rights in Chile.

Marcha por la Igualidad or March for Equality took place on a sunny winter day in Santiago, with attendees demanding equality before the law.

The march was also attended by prominent politicians as well as by the British ambassador Jon Benjamin, who read a letter of support for pride and LGBT rights on behalf of the European Union.

Moscow has refused to allow LGBT activists to hold pride parades in the Russian capital for the next century.

The Tverskoy district court had previously banned public events that qualified as gay parades from March 2012 to May 2112.

In defiance, leading gay activist Nikolay Alekseev claimed to have found a loophole in Russian legislation and submitted requests for gay pride parades for the next 100 years to the Moscow Mayor’s office.

But the Moscow city court has now upheld the refusal of Alekseev's requests.

Moscow under its new mayor has refused to sanction a gay pride in the city for the seventh year in a row.

This comes after several dozen neo-Nazis attacked IDAHO (International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia) rally participants in St. Petersburg on Thursday (17 May).

LGBT activists, however, are unfazed by the growing hostility towards homosexuality in the country and vow to proceed with the parade in Moscow, scheduled for 27 May.