Head of "Coming Out" Fined For 300 thousand as "a foreign agent"
A court hearing of the case accusing the head of the "Coming Out" Russian LGBT Organization in breaching of the law on "foreign agents" took place on June 25. The judge Politova declared Anna Anisimova (director in charge of the LGBT organization) guilty and issued a fine in the sum of 300 thousand rubles (ˆ7,000). A week earlier this entity was also declared guilty and obliged to pay 0.5 mln rubles (ˆ11,700) in fines.
Today's court hearing was unprecedented, believe "Coming Out" activists, because none of the LGBT organization's supporters were admitted inside the court. More than 30 nationalists blocked the court's entrance, did not allow anyone inside, including the Coming Out's advocate. Only after making telephone calls to the court's authorities and interference of bailiffs the Coming Out's advocate and the witness managed to enter the building. LGBT supporters, organization's followers and observers were left outside. The judge refused to grant on-line transmission or to move to a larger hall, saying that "all who wanted to get in, have got in the hall".
Meanwhile, the opponents of the LGBT organization (gay haters) blocked the entrance thoroughly with hands clasped and did not allow anybody to come closer, event to the door-bell. Some of them shouted: "I will kill you" and other threats to LGBT activists. The policemen who stood nearby did not interfere. When asked directly, the police said that they had been called to keep the order and "from that place they monitored everything quite well".
The case was hearing in the court for more than 4 hours. Advocate Sergey Golubok was insisting on closure of the case on formal and legal grounds. There were not any legal ground for procurator's scrutiny that triggered this case because the head of the LGBT organization had not been duly informed about the general prosecutor's decree, the decision not to enter into the Registry of foreign agents was taken not by the head of the NGO, but by its Board of directors.
"The general prosecutor's office was unable to prove their position and to challenge a single defense's position. But the judge took the side of the prosecution, thus this "dependence" of the court becomes a usual thing in similar cases on "foreign agents", stated Sergey Golubok. "We don't position ourselves as political agents, our activities are not politic. Our aim is to defend and protect the rights and freedoms of the most unprotected and oppressed Russian society group, and considering this activity as an activity in the interests of any foreign state is senseless. Of course we will appeal against this unlawful judgment to the higher court", Olga Lenkova, LGBT activist, commented on the court's decision.
What will happen to gay organizations of St. Petersburg, being the only those active in Russia, is still unknown. A trial is taking place in respect of even the charity fund, financing the largest "Russian LGBT Network".
Earlier, the "Side by Side" festival had been fined 500,000 rubles (ˆ11,700) for its political activities, and announced fundraising campaign to pay the fine. If the money is not collected, the festival's existence is threatened.
"Exit", by the way, announced the fundraising in advance. "Today prosecutors accuse us that our human rights work is the dictate of other countries, and our organization - a "foreign agent". "For refusing to enroll in the registry of "foreign agents" we are facing a fine of up to 1,6 million rubles..." - sais the official site of "Exit." "We are not a "foreign agent" and not anybody else's agent, we work for the benefit of Russian citizens, protecting their rights and helping the state to fulfill its obligations to protect the human rights guaranteed by the Constitution of the Russian Federation", - continue the gay activists, asking for support in a time of trouble.
English translation presented by Yerdna Bananes
"We are engaged in charitable activities, including facilitating the execution of Russia's international obligations on human rights. All the information on the volume of our financing, including from abroad, and the content of our work is open and published annually on the website of Ministry of Justice."
Olga Lenkova, Coming Out's activist
Olga Lenkova, Coming Out's activist
Today's court hearing was unprecedented, believe "Coming Out" activists, because none of the LGBT organization's supporters were admitted inside the court. More than 30 nationalists blocked the court's entrance, did not allow anyone inside, including the Coming Out's advocate. Only after making telephone calls to the court's authorities and interference of bailiffs the Coming Out's advocate and the witness managed to enter the building. LGBT supporters, organization's followers and observers were left outside. The judge refused to grant on-line transmission or to move to a larger hall, saying that "all who wanted to get in, have got in the hall".
Meanwhile, the opponents of the LGBT organization (gay haters) blocked the entrance thoroughly with hands clasped and did not allow anybody to come closer, event to the door-bell. Some of them shouted: "I will kill you" and other threats to LGBT activists. The policemen who stood nearby did not interfere. When asked directly, the police said that they had been called to keep the order and "from that place they monitored everything quite well".
The case was hearing in the court for more than 4 hours. Advocate Sergey Golubok was insisting on closure of the case on formal and legal grounds. There were not any legal ground for procurator's scrutiny that triggered this case because the head of the LGBT organization had not been duly informed about the general prosecutor's decree, the decision not to enter into the Registry of foreign agents was taken not by the head of the NGO, but by its Board of directors.
"The general prosecutor's office was unable to prove their position and to challenge a single defense's position. But the judge took the side of the prosecution, thus this "dependence" of the court becomes a usual thing in similar cases on "foreign agents", stated Sergey Golubok. "We don't position ourselves as political agents, our activities are not politic. Our aim is to defend and protect the rights and freedoms of the most unprotected and oppressed Russian society group, and considering this activity as an activity in the interests of any foreign state is senseless. Of course we will appeal against this unlawful judgment to the higher court", Olga Lenkova, LGBT activist, commented on the court's decision.
What will happen to gay organizations of St. Petersburg, being the only those active in Russia, is still unknown. A trial is taking place in respect of even the charity fund, financing the largest "Russian LGBT Network".
Earlier, the "Side by Side" festival had been fined 500,000 rubles (ˆ11,700) for its political activities, and announced fundraising campaign to pay the fine. If the money is not collected, the festival's existence is threatened.
"Exit", by the way, announced the fundraising in advance. "Today prosecutors accuse us that our human rights work is the dictate of other countries, and our organization - a "foreign agent". "For refusing to enroll in the registry of "foreign agents" we are facing a fine of up to 1,6 million rubles..." - sais the official site of "Exit." "We are not a "foreign agent" and not anybody else's agent, we work for the benefit of Russian citizens, protecting their rights and helping the state to fulfill its obligations to protect the human rights guaranteed by the Constitution of the Russian Federation", - continue the gay activists, asking for support in a time of trouble.
English translation presented by Yerdna Bananes
