I think Russia is the only country that requires all VISA applicants to provide 'HIV negative' cerificate.
On Wed, Nov 19, 2008 at 7:06 PM, Aditya Bondyopadhyay <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>wrote: > http://www.gayrussia.ru/en/news/detail.php?ID=12450 > > *Russia: Tambov Court Confirms Bans of Gay Picket and March Lawful* > > *Organizers to appeal in regional court and then to the European Court of > Human Rights* > > > > On Thursday 13 November Lenin district court of Tambov city, 480 km south > of Moscow, dismissed Moscow Pride organizers complaint against the ban of > gay picket and march in the city by City Administration. The public events > were organized to fight homophobia and in support of the rights of sexual > minorities in Russia. > > > > The federal judge Tamara Prostoserdova announced only resolution part of > the decision after three hours of court hearing with the participation of > the representatives of City Administration, the prosecutor and organizer of > the events Nikolai Alekseev. > > > > The applications to conduct the picket and the march on 10 and 18 October > respectively were given to the Tambov City Administration on 6 October in > full accordance with the Russian law. The same day the authorities offered > the organizers to change the place of the picketing and to transfer it to > the Ice Sports Palace "Kristall". On Tuesday 7 October the organizers agreed > with the proposal of the City Administration. > > > > According to the application the picketing to express opinions to denounce > homophobic statements of Tambov region governor Oleg Betin and to appeal for > respect for the rights of homosexual people in Russia was supposed to take > place on 10 October from 1 to 2 pm. > > > > Second public event of sexual minorities in Tambov was supposed to take > place on 18 October in the form of a march in support for tolerant attitude > and respect for the rights and freedoms of homosexual people in Russia. > > > > According to the letter of Tambov City Administration the proposed > picketing was banned due to the numerous letters of protest received from > various public organizations. They said that the event was a propaganda of > homosexuality and was deemed to spoil the image of Tambov as an Orthodox > city. > > > > The City Administration said that in accordance with the law on local > government it was obliged to listen to the views of the majority of citizens > who were against the conduct of the proposed public event. In these > circumstances the authorities stressed that they were unable to provide > security for the participants of the event. > > > > The ban of the gay march on 18 October was issued due to the impossibility > to block traffic. Tambov City Administration said that the march breaches > the rights of drivers and could lead to accidents on the city roads. > > > > According to Russian federal law the authorities were obliged to offer the > organizers alternative route or time for the march. > > > > In their complaints to Lenin district court of Tambov organizers of public > events said that the authorities had no reasons to ban the events and that > they were obliged to provide security for the participants. > > > > Organizer of Moscow Gay Pride and public events in Tambov Nikolai Alekseev > said upon leaving the court on Thursday that "the decision of the district > court will be appealed to Tambov regional court as soon as we get the > motivated part of the decision. Even though the position of City > Administration representatives and prosecution was very weak, the court > decision was dictated by the political situation in the region and in the > city". > > > > Nikolai Alekseev suggested that "if the regional court also supports city > authorities, the case will be sent to the European Court of Human Rights". > He reminded that there are several complaints of Russian gay activists > concerning the ban of public events in Moscow already pending in Strasbourg. > Two of the cases concern the bans of Moscow Pride events in 2006 and 2007. > > > > *GayRussia.Ru* > > > -- - Preyas For true friendship..
