The National Inter-Regional Public Movement "The Russian LGBT Network" in its statement attracts the attention of public to the growing number of grave crimes and human rights violations on the grounds of homophobia in Saint-Petersburg, reports http://www.lgbtnet.ru/eng. The Russian LGBT Network believes that the number of crimes against life and health of LGBT people, including the number of high-threat crimes, has grown big last year in Saint-Petersburg.

Law enforcement agencies during investigation of these gay-hate crimes admit gross violation of human rights concerning gays and lesbians. Recently, the Saint-Petersburg news agencies reported final exposure of a dreadful murder of a Ukrainian citizen, committed August 20th, 2008 in Saint-Petersburg. According to the police, the murder was committed on the grounds of personal hate towards gays. The suspect detained by the police in this murder is the citizen of Samara region and a "bomzh" (homeless man).

Igor Petrov (the Chairman of the Russian LGBT Network) said that "it was very good that the police had investigated the case, but at the same time it was very bad that the investigation procedures failed to obey human rights. Gays in Saint-Petersburg are not only forced to live in fear for their lives but often fall victims to the non-professional qualities of representatives of the local law enforcement agencies". In the framework of this investigation a year ago (in September 2008) the police raided two Saint-Petersburg's gay-clubs, detained many of its visitors, who revealed the facts that they were humiliated and beaten while inside the police detainment quarters. It seems that the police searched for the gay-hate crime's suspects among gays... Moreover, in March 2009 the suspect in a local series of gay-hate crimes had been discovered and detained by the police. The office of Saint-Petersburg General Attorney refuses to give any details on the pace of investigation of that serial homicide.

Translated by Yerdna Bananes