Rainbow News
Russian State Duma Outlaws "Non-Traditional Propaganda" - 436/0 Vote
11 Jun. 2013
In the early hours of the discussion the main set of amendments was supported by 387 deputies. Interestingly, another amendment allowing arrest and deportation of foreign nationals had even more - 409 of them. The total number of deputies in the State Duma is 450. The law was promoted to Act 3 of reading. During the last Act 3 readings in the evening of the same June 11, 2013 the law was supported by 436 MPs, including the Liberal Democratic Party faction, which had previously refused to vote in January 2013. One MP abstained (Ilya Ponomarev of the "Fair Russia"). The law was adopted... See full results of the vote (automatically translated).
The whole subject is about homophobic legislative initiatives, previously known as the law banning "homo-propaganda" among minors. Elena Mizulina, the lobbyist of the law, admits to have "rewritten" it so that the international community and gays in the country should not have, in her opinion, any claims against it. The word "homosexuality" disappeared from the document, but something more universal was introduced - "non-traditional relationships."
So, what is the essence of propaganda? It is "the dissemination of information aimed at developing non-traditional juvenile sexual installations attractiveness of non-traditional sexual relations, a distorted picture of the social equivalence of traditional and non-traditional sexual relations, or the imposition of information on non-traditional sexual relationships, causing interest in such relationships, if these actions do not contain criminal offense..."
Fines are imposed for any or those. Persons are fined 4000-5000 RUR (ˆ100 - ˆ118), officials - up to 50 000 RUR (ˆ1,180), entities - from 800 000 RUR (ˆ19,000) to 1 mln Russian rubles (ˆ23,600) or administrative suspension of their commercial activities for up to 90 days.
A more severe punishment is given for this offense with usage of mass-media or Internet: fines for persons from 50 to 100 thousand RUR (ˆ1,180 - ˆ2,366), officials - from 100 to 200 thousand RUR (ˆ2,366 - ˆ4,700), entities: up to 1 mln rubles (ˆ23,600) or administrative suspension of their commercial activities for up to 90 days.
Foreign nationals, aside from being fined, can be detained in custody for 15 days and deported from the country.
As soon as the law is signed by President Putin, it will be published and will come into force.
Russian gay organizations have unsuccessfully been fighting the anti-gay attitude among the MPs during the last year. However, the new law was upheld by the ruling party "United Russia". The authorities also rejected all allegations by democratic governments of the world and human rights organizations insisting that the law violates human rights and is contrary to the international obligations of Russia.
Russian gay activists had long been acting to challenge the law in the courts even before the vote inself - and were ready to go as high as the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg.
"Section 6.21. Promotion of non-traditional sexual relations among minors
1. Promotion of non-traditional sexual relations among minors, expressed in the dissemination of information aimed at developing non-traditional sexual juvenile facilities, attractiveness of non-traditional sexual relations, a distorted picture of the social equivalence of traditional and non-traditional sexual relations, or the imposition of information on non-traditional sexual relationships, causing interest in such relationships if these actions do not have a criminal offense..."
Read the full law (automated translation)
Elevated penalties for "the imposition of non-traditional sexual relations" to minors have been supported by the deputies of the State Duma in the discussion of the law banning "gay propaganda".1. Promotion of non-traditional sexual relations among minors, expressed in the dissemination of information aimed at developing non-traditional sexual juvenile facilities, attractiveness of non-traditional sexual relations, a distorted picture of the social equivalence of traditional and non-traditional sexual relations, or the imposition of information on non-traditional sexual relationships, causing interest in such relationships if these actions do not have a criminal offense..."
Read the full law (automated translation)
In the early hours of the discussion the main set of amendments was supported by 387 deputies. Interestingly, another amendment allowing arrest and deportation of foreign nationals had even more - 409 of them. The total number of deputies in the State Duma is 450. The law was promoted to Act 3 of reading. During the last Act 3 readings in the evening of the same June 11, 2013 the law was supported by 436 MPs, including the Liberal Democratic Party faction, which had previously refused to vote in January 2013. One MP abstained (Ilya Ponomarev of the "Fair Russia"). The law was adopted... See full results of the vote (automatically translated).
So, what is the essence of propaganda? It is "the dissemination of information aimed at developing non-traditional juvenile sexual installations attractiveness of non-traditional sexual relations, a distorted picture of the social equivalence of traditional and non-traditional sexual relations, or the imposition of information on non-traditional sexual relationships, causing interest in such relationships, if these actions do not contain criminal offense..."
A more severe punishment is given for this offense with usage of mass-media or Internet: fines for persons from 50 to 100 thousand RUR (ˆ1,180 - ˆ2,366), officials - from 100 to 200 thousand RUR (ˆ2,366 - ˆ4,700), entities: up to 1 mln rubles (ˆ23,600) or administrative suspension of their commercial activities for up to 90 days.
As soon as the law is signed by President Putin, it will be published and will come into force.
Russian gay organizations have unsuccessfully been fighting the anti-gay attitude among the MPs during the last year. However, the new law was upheld by the ruling party "United Russia". The authorities also rejected all allegations by democratic governments of the world and human rights organizations insisting that the law violates human rights and is contrary to the international obligations of Russia.
Russian gay activists had long been acting to challenge the law in the courts even before the vote inself - and were ready to go as high as the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg.
Gay.Ru
