Person of the Week: Elena Klimova

posted 2 Aug 2015, 07:32 by Rights in Russia   [ updated 2 Aug 2015, 07:32 ]
On 28 July 2015 a court in Nizhny Tagil fined Elena Klimova, founder of at Deti-404, an online community for LGBT teenagers in Russia, 50,000 roubles under the law banning 'gay propaganda' to minors. She was found guilty of distributing ‘propaganda of non-traditional sexual relations among minors’. Klimova, who appealed successfully against a similar fine levied by a court in the same town in January, intends to appeal.

Alec Luhn in The Guardian writes: 'With parents and teachers often unsympathetic or even hostile, Deti-404 (Children-404) is one of the few platforms for Russian teenagers to discuss LGBT issues in a safe space. Nearly every day, young people write in with stories and photographs – with their faces and names often hidden – describing the harassment, beatings and confusion they suffer due to their sexuality.' (Source: Alec Luhn, 'LGBT website founder fined under Russia's gay propaganda laws,' The Guardian, 29 July 2015)

Sources: 
Alec Luhn, 'LGBT website founder fined under Russia's gay propaganda laws,' The Guardian, 29 July 2015
Ryan Stalley, 'Elena Klimova and Russia's forgotten LGBTI youth,' Amnesty International UK, 25 April 2015
Ian Lekus, 'Russia: Defending LGBT Rights is not “Propaganda”,' Amnesty International USA, 9 February 2015

Photo: Elena Klimova (Photo Credit: Private)
Comments