Petrelis Files

Gay Russians Write Putin, Hold News Conference on Iran's Killings



07/28/2005
Russian gay leaders appeal against executions in Iran during special press conference in Moscow

Russian politicians were scared to come, they did not want “to sit next to gays”. Russian authorities should do everything to pressure Iran to fulfill its international obligations

On 28 July 2005 a press conference took place in the National Information Group (www.newsinfo.ru) in Moscow in order to attract attention of the Russian and International community to the recent executions of young gays in Iran. Press conference was given by Nikolai Alekseev, head of the Project GayRussia.Ru, and Evgeniya Debryanskaya, leader of the Russian lesbian community. The organizers of the event invited several Russian politicians. A few of them agreed to come but later denied. Deputy of the State Duma, lower chamber of the Russian parliament, A. Chuev, author of the bill to ban propaganda of homosexuality, said that he was ill and that he was “not ready to sit close to gays”.

Representatives of the Russian party Union of Rights Forces, known for their human rights actions and support, said that the topic was very controversial and that they were not ready to take part. Press centre of the pro-presidential youth movement “Nashi” said the following: “we just lacked giving speeches together with gays”. Nikolai Alekseev said that it is a real shame that Russian politicians were so scared to come. “The press conference today is clearly about the effects of the policy of repression some of them are pressuring for even here in Russia”.

Several journalists from leading Russian information agencies came to the press centre, representative of Interfax and ITAR-TASS. Nikolai Alekseev and Evgeniya Dedryanskaya condemned the executions of gays in Iran and once again appealed to the Russian authorities, including President Vladimir Putin, to use all diplomatic ways to pressure Iranian regime. They said that by killing those, who committed their so called “crimes” under the age of 18, Iran breached its international obligations, including those embodied in the International Covenant of Civil and Political Rights and Convention on the Rights of the Child. Both clearly forbid such executions.

Iran is currently among the leaders of child executions. Nikolai Alekseev underlined that the problem of Iran should be considered in two dimensions. Firstly, criminal prosecution for homosexuality and retaining capital punishment for these actions. Secondly, retaining of death penalty for children.

During the press conference journalists were also interested in the situation of gays in Russia, some of the facts of homophobia were given as well as the results of the poll on the issues of homosexuality. Russian gays also announced their intention to conduct the first ever gay pride in Moscow in May 2006.

Project GayRussia.Ru will continue its actions against barbarism in Iran and pressure for changes in this country.

For further information please write to: contacts@gayrussia.ru

- - -


22 July 2005
Letter to President Vladimir Putin

Dear Vladimir Vladimirovich,

We would like to pay your attention to the event that happened in the Islamic Republic of Iran on 19 July 2005, the execution via hanging of two young boys for the only fact of entering into homosexual relations. One of the boys was 18 while the other even did not reach that age.

Projects GayRussia.Ru and Gayly.Ru join the international condemnation of this barbarian act and ask you to use all the pressure with the aim to stop executions and criminal prosecutions of the persons of homosexual orientation in Iran. Homosexual relations are not a crime in the developed democratic countries, moreover more countries pass laws legalizing same-sex marriages and unions.

International gay community is outraged and appeals to the authorities of all democratic states to stop diplomatic and trade relations with the regime that executes guilty people, including children. We address the same request to you. Russian Federation can not close the eyes to the middle aged barbarity and huge human rights violations.

We hope for your understanding and assistance!

Faithfully yours,

N. Alekseev
Head GayRussia.Ru

V. Kamov
Head Gayly.Ru

E. Debryanskaya
Leader of the Russian lesbian movement

N. Baev
Journalist