TOP RUSSIAN GAY ACTIVIST RESIGNS

Russia’s best-known LGBT rights activist, Nikolai Alekseev, has resigned from the influential GayRussia.Ru website and Moscow Pride, saying that he is “fed up”.

“I decided to resign from the positions of the head of Russian LGBT Human Rights Project GayRussia.Ru and head of Moscow Pride Organising Committee,” said Alekseev online late last week.

“From midnight 21 October 2011 in Moscow and up to the decision on the new leadership Project GayRussia.Ru will be headed by Nikolay Baev and Moscow Pride Organizing Committee by Alexander Naumchik.”

When questioned about his surprise decision, Alekseev told UK Gay News: “It is true that I am fed up, and that is why I decided to step down”.

“I also decided not to give any further comments on my decision,” he added.

Alekseev has been at the forefront of the LGBT rights movement in Russia, especially in Moscow, where the city has repeatedly banned Pride events from taking place,

He successfully took Moscow authorities to the European Court of Human Rights which ruled that the city’s bans had violated Muscovites’ right to freedom of assembly.

In addition to having been arrested numerous time while attempting to hold Pride events, in September last year he was also abducted when boarding a flight at Moscow’s Domodedovo Airport.

His whereabouts were unknown for a number of days. He was eventually released unharmed by his mysterious captors who apparently attempted to pressure him to drop the case lodged with the European Court of Human Rights .