RUSSIAN PRESIDENT CAN’T BE SUED

A Moscow court has ruled that the organisers of Moscow Gay Pride cannot sue the Russian President, Dmitry Medvedev, following his inaction against a city ban on the event.

Federal Judge Alexey Sevalkin said that the Russian constitution gives the President of the Russian Federation immunity against any lawsuits or legal action.

Pride organisers attempted to sue Medvedev because they claim he failed to respond within the time stipulated by law to their attempts to contact him. They also asked the court to force the President to reply to their request.

They had sent two letters to the President in May requesting permission to hold a Pride Parade in a section of the city within the Kremlin over which he, and not the city, has jurisdiction.

Organisers had applied to the President after the city of Moscow again refused to allow a gay Pride Parade to take place in the capital.

In response to the ruling, Pride organiser Nikolay Alexeyev said: “It’s a pity that the President, even though he proclaimed that he would fight for human rights, did not interfere and put an end to the unlawful actions of Moscow officials.”

Judge Alexey Sevalkin failed to explain how the President could be held accountable by the courts should he act in a manner contrary to the Russian constitution.