May 29, 2007News: EU Must Impose Travel Ban on Moscow Mayor
By vanrozenheim
(London, UK) - The British Green Party has today called for a European Union travel ban on the Mayor of Moscow, Yuri Luzhkov, following violence in the streets of the capital on Sunday during Gay Pride - and heavy-handed police tactics which saw many arrests. They condemn Moscow police, and the OMON riot police, for “arresting peaceful gay and lesbian rights activists, and standing by while those activists were attacked by extremist thugs opposite City Hall”. Activists, including European lawmakers, senior foreign human rights officials and celebrities, attempted to submit a letter, signed by around 50 MEPs, protesting against Mayor Luzhkov’s renewed ban of the Moscow Gay Pride Parade.
Green Party principal speaker Dr. Derek Wall said in a statement: “This type of police action simply confirms that human rights are not respected in President Putin’s Russia.
“Russia, as a member of the Council of Europe and a signatory to the European Convention on Human Rights, has a responsibility to allow its citizens the right to peaceful protest.”
He said that European democracies must do everything they can to ensure that “Russia does not shirk that responsibility”.
“In this case, EU countries should impose a travel ban on Moscow Mayor Yuri Luzhkov, just as they did on Belarussian President Alexander Lukashenko because of his appalling human right record.
“The EU is a force for anti-discrimination, and Green MEPs have been at the forefront of promoting new policies to ensure equal employment and partnership rights across the EU.
“The lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) population deserves political allies who will work with us to benefit our community.
“The Green Party will keep on campaigning for a Europe that we can be proud of, where the LGBT community is treated as an essential and valued part of the our rich and diverse culture,” he promised.
Veteran human rights campaigner and Green Party member Peter Tatchell, the party’s prospective candidate for the Oxford East constituency, was amongst those beaten by gangs of neo-Nazis, nationalist extremists and Russian Orthodox fundamentalists, with the apparent collusion of sections of the Moscow police and the Russian OMON riot squad.
Mr. Tatchell had travelled to Moscow at the request of the Moscow Gay Pride organisers to support the event and the campaign for gay rights in Russia. He was the keynote speaker at the opening session of the Moscow Gay Pride conference on Saturday morning, 26 May 2007 at the Swissotel.
The first people arrested were Nikolai Alekseev, the principal organiser of Moscow Pride, his colleagues on the committee and German Green Party Member of Parliament Volker Beck.
They were seized as they attempted to deliver a letter to Moscow Mayor, Yuri Luzhkov, at City Hall.
Soon afterwards, Peter Tatchell unfurled a placard reading, "Gay Rights," written in both Russian and English. He was set upon and repeatedly bashed by right-wing extremists.
The OMON riot police stood by while neo-Nazis punched Mr. Tatchell in the face, dragged him to the ground, and kicked him all over his body.
Clutching a bloody eye, he was then arrested by the riot police.
Speaking after the attacks Mr. Tatchell said: “They arrested me, but let my attackers walk free
“There is no rule of law in Moscow. The right to protest does not exist. This is not a democracy
“[The] protest was about much more than gay rights – We were defending the right to freedom of expression and peaceful protest for all Russians, gay and straight.
“The ban on Moscow Gay Pride is one aspect of a much wider attack on civil society and human rights. It is evidence of a failed transition from communism to democracy and of a rising trend towards autocracy and authoritarianism, Mr. Tatchell said.
