4 Russian LGBT activists arrested in St. Petersburg

Source: Washington Blade

Authorities in the Russian city of St. Petersburg have arrested four LGBT rights advocates hours before the opening ceremonies of the 2014 Winter Olympics.

The Russian LGBT Network said on its Facebook page that Anastasia Smirnova, Aleksandra Semenova and a pregnant woman are among the four activists whom police took into custody. The group said they were trying to take pictures of themselves holding a banner that read “discrimination is incompatible with the Olympic movement. Principle 6. Olympic charter” in reference to a campaign in support of adding sexual orientation to the Olympic charter.

“Detention for a photo with a banner–isn’t it an amazing way to celebrate the opening of the games,” wrote Smirnova on her Facebook page while in custody at a St. Petersburg police station.

The arrests took place a day after U.S. Olympian David Pichler and Human Rights First staffers met with Smirnova, Russian LGBT Network Chair Igor Kochetkov and Maria Kozlovskaya of “Coming Out” in St. Petersburg.


Read more: http://www.washingtonblade.com/2014/02/07/four-russian-lgbt-activists-arrested-st-petersburg/