"We Have the Upper Hand" : Freedom of assembly in Russia and the human rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people

M. Anmeghichean, S. Long

For the second year in a row, on Sunday, May 27, 2007, a small group of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) activists and their supporters tried to stage a peaceful public demonstration in Moscow to claim their rights. For the second year in a row, anti-gay nationalist groups assaulted them, beating some severely, pelting others with rocks and eggs. For the second year in a row, police sided with the violent rather than the victims. They failed to protect peaceful demonstrators; in some cases, they colluded with the attacking extremists. Police arrested almost 20 people engaged only in nonviolent protest - three times more than in 2006 - along with a lesser number of their attackers. These attacks and arrests come amid a deteriorating climate for human rights in Russia, with freedoms of expression and assembly increasingly in jeopardy. Journalists have faced harassment and murder. A 2006 law on nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) allows for unprecedented government interference into their work. Authorities increasingly crack down on demonstrations challenging government policies - refusing permits and subjecting protesters to excessive force and arrests. Human Rights watch and ILGA-Europe published this briefing paper to explain the assaults on lgbt-activists and the deteriorating climate for human rights in Russia, takes conclusions and gives recommendations to the Russian government and others.