Russia will have to answer to the UN on protecting the rights of gay and trans* people

ECOM, together with the LGBT initiative group “ComingOut”, the NGO “Phoenix Plus”, and an anonymous trans* group from Siberia, submitted a report to the UN Human Rights Committee on rights violations based on sexual orientation and gender identity in the Russian Federation.

Russia is reporting for the eighth time to the UN Human Rights Committee on the fulfillment of its obligations to implement the Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. During the previous dialogue in 2015, the Committee put forward demands to the government of the Russian Federation to take all necessary measures to strengthen the legal framework that protects LGBT people from discrimination and violence; and to ensure the investigation, prosecution, and punishment of any act of violence based on sexual orientation or gender identity.

In its periodic report of 19 May 2020, in response to the recommendations, the Russian government stated that “370. In Russia, discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity, like any other form of discrimination, is prohibited”.

In this regard, ECOM, “ComingOut”, “Phoenix Plus”, and the anonymous trans* group from Siberia submitted a report, which illustrates the systematic violations of the rights of gay and trans* people in various areas of life in Russia, including: access to medical services; realization of the right to peaceful assembly; difficulties of trans* people in realizing their right to health; and many others.

The report provides a recommended list of questions to which the organizations would like to receive answers from the government of the Russian Federation in anticipation of the dialogue with the Human Rights Committee. In particular, the list mentions questions about government programs in the field of HIV prevention and their adaptation to the needs of gay and trans* people, the repeal of the law on so-called “gay propaganda”, and about the possibility of exercising the right to peaceful assembly for LGBT people.

The report is available (in English)