Page 23
-
European Parliament group: Hold Putin accountable at G20 summit
BRUSSELS — As opposition to Russia’s anti-gay “propaganda” law escalates, members of the European Parliament are calling on European Union leaders and the Council of Europe to denounce that country’s increasingly forceful crackdown on the LGBT community.
-
Putin signs decree banning rallies, demonstrations in Olympic Sochi
MOSCOW — Russian President Vladimir Putin has signed a decree banning demonstrations and rallies for two and a half months in Sochi around the 2014 Winter Olympics.
-
Pat Buchanan defends Putin on anti-gay law, Pussy Riot prosecution
In his syndicated column Tuesday, conservative activist Pat Buchanan defends Russian president Vladimir Putin’s persecution of gay people and political prosecution of the feminist punk band Pussy Riot, saying that Putin is just “trying to re-establish the Orthodox Church as the moral compass of the nation it had been for 1,000 years before Russia fell captive to the atheistic and pagan ideology of Marxism.”
-
Olympic Committee wants more assurances from Russia on anti-gay law
MOSCOW — The International Olympic Committee is waiting for the Russian government to clarify the anti-gay law that is overshadowing preparations for the Sochi Games.
-
Activists confront Russia’s U.N. envoy over anti-gay law
UNITED NATIONS — Gay rights activists confronted Russia’s U.N. ambassador Thursday and tried to hand over a petition with more than 340,000 signatures urging world leaders to help eliminate anti-gay laws in Russia ahead of next year’s Winter Olympics in Sochi.
-
IOC official downplays impact of U.S.-Russia tensions on Sochi Games
LONDON — The Winter Olympics in Sochi should not be affected by the heightened political tensions between the United States and Russia over Edward Snowden, gay rights and other issues, a vice president of the IOC said Wednesday.
-
Olympic committee member calls for diplomacy on Russia’s anti-gay laws
LONDON — International Olympic officials should use “all the avenues possible” with the Russian government to ensure that athletes competing at next year’s Winter Games in Sochi aren’t affected by a new anti-gay law, IOC presidential candidate Richard Carrion said Friday.
-
Latvian distiller owner tries to defuse boycott of Stoli vodka
RIGA, Latvia — Many gay bars in North America have stopped selling the famous Stolichnaya vodka brand to protest Russia’s crackdown on the gay community. But the vodka’s maker has joined forces with Latvia’s leading gay rights group to say that the boycott is misplaced.
-
Russian sports minister says Russia will enforce anti-gay law during Olympics
MOSCOW — Russia will enforce a new law cracking down on gay rights activism when it hosts international athletes and fans during the 2014 Olympics in Sochi, the country’s sports minister said Thursday, appearing to contradict assurances to the contrary from the International Olympic Committee.
-
Activists dump Russian vodka in street outside Russian Consulate in NYC
NEW YORK — To protest recent anti-gay laws passed in Russia, two dozen gay rights activists gathered in front of the Russian Consulate in New York City on Wednesday to pour bottles of Russian vodka in the street to demonstrate how they are boycotting the purchase of Russian products.