22 May 2013 11:12

CoE secretary general urges Russia to protect gay rights to demonstrations, freedom of speech

MOSCOW. May 22 (Interfax) - The Russian authorities should ensure the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community's rights, such as the right of expression, including by means of demonstrations, which is among the principal provisions of the European Convention on Human Rights, Council of Europe (CoE) Secretary General Thorbjorn Jagland said at a press conference at the Interfax main office on Wednesday.

Members of the LGBT community should have the same rights as other people in terms of holding demonstrations, expressing their views and so on, but the Council of Europe is not calling for granting the LGBT community some special rights, Jagland said.