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Ukrainian court bans gay pride march in Kiev

In May 2012, a group of unknown people gave a tough beating to two organizers of a gay parade that was scheduled initially but called off later

KIEV, May 23 (Itar-Tass) - Administrative court of the Ukrainian capital Kiev has imposed a ban on all the actions unrelated to the celebration of Kiev Day, which is marked May 25, Chief Justice Arina Litvinova said Thursday.

The ban affects the Kiev Pride 2013 public forum of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transsexual community.

The court motion was launched by the Kiev State City Administration’s department for public communications, which augmented its petition by letters from various religious and public associations containing a request to prevent the gay pride march.

Also, an appeal to cancel the action was signed by 61 deputies of the Verkhovna Rada, the national parliament.

The ultra-nationalistic Svoboda /Freedom/ party said its activists will take to the streets May 25 for the purpose of controlling the execution of the court’s ban on the gay pride march.

In May 2012, a group of unknown people gave a tough beating to two organizers of a gay parade that was scheduled initially but called off later.

In June 2012, the chief of the Kiev gay parade organizing committee, Taras Karasiychuk, was beaten up harshly.

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