Gay activists released in Moscow

Moscow: Police have released all participants of an unsanctioned gay pride rally detained in the Russian capital, the interior department said.

"Administrative violation reports were compiled for 39 detainees, protocols for the breach of the established rules of holding gatherings and meetings were drawn up for 29 detainees and protocols for petty hooliganism were completed for the other 10," the department said.

Several dozens of LGBT activists were detained in the capital Saturday during a string of gay pride events.

The majority were held during an attempted gay pride rally in front of the City Hall, which refused earlier to sanction the event.

Several gay rights activists were also held near the State Duma building when attempting to stage consecutive solitary pickets, which require no official permits.

Gay rights activists and their opponents also clashed at the popular Gorky Park, allotted by the city authorities for demonstrations. Police said that some 15 activists from both sides were held. Gay rights activists have been requesting permits to hold a rally in Moscow since 2006, but city authorities repeatedly refused to sanction the event.

An anti-xenophobia rally staged by gay rights activists was sanctioned in St. Petersburg last year, but ended in an attack by ultranationalists that police failed to stop.

Russian authorities stepped up the crackdown on the LGBT community since last year, with several regions passing the ban on the vaguely defined "gay propaganda among minors".

The ban was proposed for nationwide adoption and successfully passed the first reading in the State Duma in January.

IANS