Russian officials have refused to sign
onto an endorsement of gay rights made in a joint statement by G8
foreign ministers.
The statement from the G8 Foreign
Ministers Meeting Chair was released Thursday following a meeting in
Washington.
“The ministers reaffirmed that human
rights and fundamental freedoms are the birthright of all
individuals, male and female, including lesbian, gay, bisexual or
transgender individuals. These individuals often face death,
violence, harassment and discrimination because of their sexual
orientation in many countries around the world.”
A footnote to the document added that
Russia disagreed with the statement.
“[T]he Russia Federation
disassociates itself from this language given the absence of any
explicit definition or provision relating to such a group or such
persons as separate rights holders under international human rights
law.”
The
Wall Street Journal quoted Russia's deputy foreign minister
Sergei Ryabkov as saying that “under the pretext of protecting the
so-called sexual minorities, in effect there's aggressive propaganda
and the imposition of certain behavior and values that may insult the
majority of the society.”
The move comes just a week after St.
Petersburg police made their first arrests under a law approved
in February which outlaws “homosexual propaganda” directed at
minors, effectively banning Gay Pride parades and gay rights
demonstrations.
A
similar bill has been introduced in Russia's lower house of
parliament.