UK human rights activist allowed to return home after staging gay rights protest in Russia

Veteran human rights activist, Peter Tatchell, has been allowed to return home to the UK after staging a protest in Moscow for gay rights. He was arrested last Thursday when he stood in the middle of the Red Square holding a placard that read: “Putin fails to go against Chechnya torture of gay people.”

“I spent one hour and 40 minutes in police custody, from the moment I was detained near the Kremlin to the moment of my release from the police station,” Tatchell said in a statement. “Senior officers were stern but the apprehending officer very helpful, friendly and polite. I presume I was well treated, partly because I am a UK citizen and because a senior British Embassy consular official, Colin Wells, contacted the police.

“I guess the Russians also did not want to be seen as being heavy-handed during the World Cup.

“I am required to appear in court on 26 June for violating Federal Law 54 and Presidential Decree 202, which prohibit all protests near the Kremlin and during the World Cup.”

Tatchell said he had no problems at customs leaving the country, but that he had no plans to return to Russia for his court case, which is still scheduled to take place.

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