Speaking earlier today, Secretary General Thorbjørn Jagland expressed his regret at the clashes between gay activists and extremists in Moscow.
He said: “I regret the clashes that occurred between gay activists and nationalist extremists in Moscow yesterday. I also regret that the police were not able to prevent the clashes.
“The right to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly, as enshrined in Article 11 of the European Convention on Human Rights, belongs to all people without any discrimination and law enforcement authorities have a duty to protect peaceful demonstrators.
The European Court of Human Rights has ruled that gay pride parades should be allowed to take place. I therefore call on all involved parties in Russia to engage in a responsible and constructive dialogue for freedom of assembly and association to be fully respected and public safety protected.”
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