© Yury Mashkov/TASS
MOSCOW, June 20. /TASS/. The Ministry of justice of the Russian Federation within three months appeal against a decision of the European court of human rights (ECHR), which recognized the discriminatory Russian law banning gay propaganda among minors and awarded in connection with this, the Russians Nikolai Baev, Alexei Kiselev and Nikolai Alekseev (the founder of the project GayRussia.ru) compensation in the amount of €49.1 per thousand reported in the press service of the Ministry of justice in response to the request TASS.
“Within three months the Ministry of justice of Russia jointly with the competent state authorities to organize the preparation of the legal position of the Russian Federation for the purposes of an appeal against such decision to the Grand chamber of the ECHR,” – said in the Ministry.
The justice Ministry explained that it did not agree with the conclusions of the ECHR concerning alleged Convention violations. The Ministry of justice believes that “the provisions of a number of regional laws banning the propaganda of nontraditional sexual relations among minors was not contrary to international practice and was aimed solely at the protection of morals and health of children”.
“The acts did not establish any measures aimed at prohibition of homosexuality or its official censure did not contain signs of discrimination and in its meaning did not allow redundant actions of public authorities, – noted in the Ministry of justice. – The Constitution guarantees equality of rights and freedoms of man and citizen, regardless of different circumstances and prohibits any form of restriction of the rights of citizens on social, racial, national, linguistic or religious identity”. In this regard, reported the Ministry of justice, the contested legislative provision cannot be considered as disproportionately restricting freedom of expression.
The European court of human rights issued on 20 June a decision on the case “Bayev and others V Russia”, in which the plaintiffs challenged the validity of the existing Russian laws prohibiting propaganda of homosexuality among minors. The ECHR said that he considers Russia’s decision violates the provisions of articles 10 and 14 of the European Convention for the protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms. The judgment passed by a vote of six judges against one. The court found that, “although the relevant laws are aimed primarily at the protection of minors, these laws were not clearly defined and their application was arbitrary”.
The Ministry of justice of the Russian Federation said that the decision of the ECHR in the case “Bayev, Kiselev, Alekseyev V. Russia” is in force has not entered.