Picture: Article 19 A Russian newspaper is being investigated under the nation’s anti ‘gay propaganda’ law over a story about a teacher and lgbt activist who has been fired. Freedom of expression advocacy group Article 19 says the editor-in-chief of Molodoi Dalnevostochnik, a newspaper in the Khabarovsk region, received a notice, after the paper printed a story about the dismissal of Alexander Yermoshkin. “We have long campaigned against homosexual propaganda bans in Russia, which pose a serious threat to the freedom of expression in the country,” says the group’s Executive Director Thomas Hughes. “This case clearly shows those fears are well founded and just how far reaching this draconian law is. Investigating a newspaper for reporting the discriminatory dismissal of a school teacher clearly violates international standards on press freedom.” Hughes says propaganda bans are used to intimidate and silence lgbt people. “It is concerning development that the law is now being used to take aim at media organisations that report on lgbt issues. By gagging the press, those that wield power in the Russian Federation are closing down conversations about matters of serious public interest in vital areas such as education and human rights, preventing everyone from accessing information. “The law has been crudely justified as offering protection to minors, but young people have the right to access information and participate in debates just as much as adults. “Even if the investigation amounts to nothing, the very fact that the authorities have deemed it appropriate to investigate will have a serious chilling effect for free speech in the country, encouraging a climate of self-censorship that discourages other media organisations from reporting on lgbt issues. The media must be allowed to report freely on matters in the public interest without fear of persecution.”
Credit: GayNZ.com Daily News staff
First published: Thursday, 14th November 2013 - 9:37am