Gay Russian Charged For Pride

Russian gay activist Nikolai Alekseev‘s gearing up for the legal fight of his life. A Moscow court found the queer crusader guilty of violating traffic laws after Alekseev led lavender’s in last month’s bloody pride.

Rather than sentencing him to prison, the court fined Alekseev about $39. While certainly not a large sum of money, Alekseev objects to the court’s less-than-legal procedures. He told the media:

The court session looked like a farce. The judge refused to admit photo and video evidence proving that we had not disturbed law and order.
…
I am ready to go up to the European Court of Human Rights if necessary, to prove that I am innocent and that all the charges against me were fabricated.

Alekseev and two other activists were held for 24 hours after their arrests, a detention they claim violated their civil rights. Which it did.