Russia's Constitutional Court to Deliberate Appeal of Same-Sex Marriages
2006/04/18. On April 18, 2006, the Constitutional Court of the Russian Federation accepted an appeal concerning the discordance of clauses in the Organic Law of the Russian Federation and its Family Code, which defines that marriage is a voluntary consent of a man and a woman." The petition was first proposed by the Deputy of Bashkir Republic, Edward Murzin last summer. The Supreme Court deemed this request legitimate and will consider it during their next session at the end of May or beginning of June.
Edward Murzin insists that the Family Code of the Russian Federation is not consistent with Statues 17-19 of the Organic Law, which guarantees every citizen equal rights and freedoms.
As previously reported, in January 18, 2005, the Deputy Edward Murzin and the Editor of the Russian gay magazine Kvir" (Queer), Ed Mishin, made an attempt to register their marriage in the Butyrsk Registry Office in Moscow. After being denied, Murzin directed the claim to the Ostanskinsky Court of Moscow, which upheld the Registry Office's decision. Deputy Murzin has so far unsuccessfully tried to contest the decision of the Ostanskinsky Judge to several higher courts, finally ending in an appeal to the Supreme Court of Russia.
Discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation should not exist. Gays and lesbians are routinely judged by information from prejudiced television broadcasts and media publications, but this is a grave mistake. I hope that very soon a civilized decision to this problem will be reached in Russia, as it has elsewhere," says Deputy Murzin.
 Ed Mishin and Edward Murzin. January 18, 2005. Butyrsk Registry Office |
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Edward Murzin insists that the Family Code of the Russian Federation is not consistent with Statues 17-19 of the Organic Law, which guarantees every citizen equal rights and freedoms.
As previously reported, in January 18, 2005, the Deputy Edward Murzin and the Editor of the Russian gay magazine Kvir" (Queer), Ed Mishin, made an attempt to register their marriage in the Butyrsk Registry Office in Moscow. After being denied, Murzin directed the claim to the Ostanskinsky Court of Moscow, which upheld the Registry Office's decision. Deputy Murzin has so far unsuccessfully tried to contest the decision of the Ostanskinsky Judge to several higher courts, finally ending in an appeal to the Supreme Court of Russia.
Discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation should not exist. Gays and lesbians are routinely judged by information from prejudiced television broadcasts and media publications, but this is a grave mistake. I hope that very soon a civilized decision to this problem will be reached in Russia, as it has elsewhere," says Deputy Murzin.
