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Content about Politics of Russia

April 27, 2013
Moscow threatens again to ban gay couples from adopting Russian children

Russian president Vladimir Putin has repeated plans to block Russian children from being adopted by same-sex couples in other countries

Vladimir Putin has reiterated plans to ban foreign gay couples from adopting Russian children.

On Friday (26 April), the Russian president again signalled that he would change adoption agreements with countries where gay marriage was legal.

Putin said: ‘We treat our partners with respect, but we ask that they treat with respect the cultural traditions, the ethic, legal and moral norms of Russia.'

His statement came as a response to a Russian politician who suggested changes to adoption agreements with France, since the country legalized gay marriage.

January 25, 2013
Russia to vote on gay gag as another region makes it law

Another million Russians banned from ‘promoting homosexuality’ as national anti-gay law comes back on agenda at the State Duma

Russia’s State Duma, or parliament, is set to debate and vote on a law against ‘gay propaganda’ at 5pm Moscow time today (25 January).

The debate comes as news breaks that Kaliningrad region, with a population of almost a million, passed a similar law yesterday (24 January).

It’s the 10th Russian region to pass the law which forbids ‘homosexual propaganda’ to minors which it links to pedophilia.

Similar legislation already exists in St Petersburg, Ryazan, Arkangelsk, Kostroma, Magadansk, Samar, Bashkortostan, Krasnodar and Novosibirsk.

January 25, 2013
Scuffles as Russian Duma votes for national gay gag law

State Duma backs fines for ‘promoting homosexuality’. But committee to review the bill has potential to remove anti-gay sting

Police have arrested at least 20 campaigners as Russia’s State Duma voted for a new law banning ‘homosexual propaganda’.

The proposed national law is similar to legislation already existing in nine Russian regions. Just yesterday Kaliningrad became the 10th region to introduce the ban, their bill just needs to be signed by the governor to become law.

January 22, 2013
Russia delays national gay gag law indefinitely

Russia State Duma again postpones debate on law to ban ‘gay propaganda’ to minors across the country

The Russian State Duma has postponed a nationwide ban on ‘gay propaganda’ indefinitely by returning the bill to the preparatory stage.

The legislation was originally due to be debated on 19 December last year but that was put off to today (22 January).

Since then, Russia has come under international pressure to drop the proposals.

December 18, 2012
Russia delays debate on anti-gay propaganda law

Russia’s State Duma will not discuss law banning ‘promotion of homosexuality’ to children until next year

Russia’s State Duma has postponed the first reading of a bill designed to fine people who ‘promote homosexuality’ to children.

The Duma, the lower house of the Russian parliament, was due to debate the law tomorrow (19 December). But it will now not be discussed until 22 January according to Russian International News Agency, RIA Novosti.

September 16, 2012
Russian gay activists join thousands to protest Putin

Opposing an 'illegitimate government', gay activists met with other liberals to protest against President Vladmir Putin

Russian gay activists joined thousands of people to protest President Vladimir Putin yesterday (15 September).

Despite Kremlin efforts to muzzle the voices of the opposition, the major protest in Moscow showed the activists’ resilience.

Gay activists met with other liberals on the capital’s boulevards, chanting ‘Russia without Putin’, and ‘We are the power here!’

The protestors remained peaceful as about 7000 police officers stood guard along the route of the march, while a police helicopter hovered overhead.

September 13, 2012
Russia Prime Minister says pro-gay band Pussy Riot may soon be free

Punk rockers Pussy Riot, jailed after protesting Russian President Vladamir Putin, may be released says Dmitry Medvedev

Dmitry Medvedev the Russian Prime Minister has called for three members of the punk band Pussy Riot to be freed.

And he has indicated their release could be imminent since their case comes up for appeal on 1 October.

The band members were arrested for performing a raucous prayer inside Moscow's main cathedral asking the Virgin Mary to save Russia from Vladimir Putin as he headed into the election that handed him a third term as president.

August 22, 2012
Bad Vlad: Put pressure on Putin over gay hate

An appearance at the UN is a chance for the world to show it is against Vladimir Putin’s anti-LGBT abuses, says international rights campaigner Omar Kuddus

Russian leader Vladimir Putin is on a rampage against human rights.

On 17 August the world heard that Putin's courts formally banned pride marches for 100 years in Moscow.

August 20, 2012
Stephen Fry blasts 'fool' Putin over jailed Pussy Riot

Gay comic Stephen Fry joins campaign to free jailed members of Russian punk band Pussy Riot who staged anti-Putin protest in Moscow's Orthodox cathedral

Gay actor and comedian Stephen Fry has written a two-page open letter of support to the imprisoned members of Russian protest band Pussy Riot.

In the letter, Fry calls himself 'an unashamed Russophile' and lambasts Russia for its 'monstrous injustice and preposterous tyranny' in the case, calling the women’s two-year prison sentence 'astoundingly unfair and disproportionate'.

August 3, 2012
Putin urges leniency over pro-gay punk group Pussy Riot

Madonna, Sting, and Jarvis Cocker are among the celebrities urging Russian president to release the three women

Russian president Vladimir Putin says Russian punk trio Pussy Riot should not face tough sentencing for their pro-gay protest in Moscow.

The female musicians are on trial over hooliganism charges after a video of their anti-Putin song appeared online.

Maria Alekhina, Ekaterina Samutsevich and Nadezhda Tolokonnikova were accused on the grounds of ‘religious hatred' for singing a protest song in Moscow’s main Orthodox church.

July 23, 2012
Punk group Pussy Riot due in court over pro-gay Putin protest

Human rights campaigners call for Russian female punk band members to be released after four months in detention

Russian female punk band Pussy Riot are due to appear in court today (23 July) over an anti-Putin protest which spoke out for gay rights.

Maria Alekhina, Ekaterina Samutsevich and Nadezhda Tolokonnikova are accused of 'hooliganism on the grounds of religious hatred' after singing a protest song in Moscow’s main Orthodox church.

February 29, 2012
St Petersburg votes for gay hate law

Local Russian politicians ignore massive European, US and global pressure to press ahead with gay gag law

St Petersburg politicians have today (29 February) voted in favor of a new law which makes people criminals if they discuss homosexuality in public.

The law prohibiting public discussion of LGBT issues is similar to rules already introduced in the country's Ryazan, Arkhangelsk and Kostroma regions.

Currently, the bill has fines of up to 1 million roubles ($34,400 €25,000) for organisations and up to 5,000 roubles (€172 €125) for individuals.