Moscow police open criminal probe into gay march journalist beating

[News_Editor]

Moscow police open criminal probe into gay march journalist beating

2011-06-02 05:32:36 GMT+7 (ICT)

MOSCOW (BNO NEWS) -- Moscow police launched criminal proceedings after a reporter was attacked during a banned gay rights demonstration on Saturday, the state-run RIA Novosti news agency reported on Wednesday.

Yelena Kostyuchenko, who works for the opposition Novaya Gazeta newspaper, was punched by an unknown attacker as riot police moved in to break up the protest in downtown Moscow.

"I didn't see him because he attacked me from behind. I felt a slap on the left cheek and then fell and couldn't hear anything for 30 seconds," she said.

Police told RIA Novosti that no one has been detained yet, but Kostyuchenko said the attacker had already been detained. She said police qualified the attack as hooliganism while she plans to seek different wording.


"It was a hatred attack because I am a lesbian," she said. "The person who hit me must stand trial as a homophobe."

About 40 activists were detained for taking part in a demonstration that took place in central Moscow near the Kremlin, even though city officials had earlier rejected an application by the organizers to hold the gay rights rally. Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) rights are a controversial issue in Russia.

Last year, the European Court of Human Rights ruled that Russia had violated the rights of gay activists by refusing to allow them to openly protest and ordered the Russian government to pay a fine of around $40,000.

Russia does not recognize same-sex relationships, although there are no specific laws against the LGBT community. Homosexuality was until 1999 classified as a mental illness in the country.

-- © BNO News All rights reserved 2011-06-02