The European court of human rights (ECHR) has found the discriminatory Russian law banning propaganda of homosexuality among minors. This is stated in the card case of the three LGBT activists from Russia.
On 20 June the ECHR ruled on the claim of a group of citizens of Russia Nikolai Baev, Nikolai Alexeev and Alexey Kiselev. The court recognized the violation of their right to freedom of expression and ordered the Russian government to pay about 49 thousand euros as compensation for moral and material damages and in compensation costs.
The decision was made by a vote of six judges against one. According to the ECHR, the Russian laws banning gay propaganda though aimed primarily at protecting children, but limits those legislative norms were not clearly defined and their application was arbitrary.
A law prohibiting to promote non-traditional sexual relations among minors was adopted in Russia at the Federal level in 2013. Violators face a fine of one million rubles. The law provoked sharp criticism from the LGBT community, human rights activists and many Western politicians.