Expatica news

Russia bans four Dutch nationals over ‘gay propoganda’

Russia on Tuesday banned four Dutch nationals from entering the country for three years after accusing them under a controversial new law that forbids the spreading of “gay propoganda” to minors.

The four had been accused by police in the northern Murmansk region of disseminating gay propaganda while making a documentary about gays in Russia and taking part in a human rights forum.

They had been due to appear in court on Monday in Murmansk to answer the accusations but the hearings appeared to have been shelved after their case was picked up by national and international media.

Russia’s Federal Migration Service (FMS) said they had been banned from entering Russia for violating visa regulations in their activities linked to “gay propaganda”.

“The FMS has decided to ban them from entering Russia for three years,” said a statement, quoted by the Interfax news agency.

“They received a visa for cultural connections but in reality they participated in a seminar at which gay propaganda was spread,” the FMS added.

It was not clear if the four had already left Russia but one of the activists, Kris Van der Veen, indicated on his Facebook page that he was heading home.

“What freedom is… until tonight, dear all,” he wrote.

Russian President Vladimir Putin last month signed the “gay propaganda” bill into law, a move that was strongly criticised by Western governments and rights organisations that said it would contribute to rising homophobia and arbitrary persecution of gays.

The FMS appears to have imposed the ban on the four for contravening visa regulations rather than for violating the new law.