The Strasbourg-based court on June 20 ruled in favor of three Russian gay activists -- Nikolai Bayev, Aleksei Aleksandrovich Kiselev, and Nikolai Alekseyev -- who claimed the law violated the rights to freedom of expression and prohibition of discrimination under the European Convention on Human Rights. Three Russian gay rights activists brought the case against the 2013 federal statute, widely known as the "gay propaganda" law, after they were fined for holding banners to encourage acceptance of homosexuality between 2009 and 2012. “Given the vagueness of the terminology used and the potentially unlimited scope of their application, these provisions are open to abuse in individual cases, as evidenced in the three applications at hand,” the Strasbourg, France-based court said in its decision, adding: “Above all, by adopting such laws the authorities reinforce stigma and prejudice and encourage homophobia, which is incompatible with the notions of equality, pluralism and tolerance inherent in a democratic society.”

The court, of which Russia is a member, said the law violates Article 10 (which protects freedom of expression) and Article 14 (which prohibits discrimination) of the European Convention on Human Rights, and ordered the Russian government to pay the three Russian applicants who brought the case a total of 43,000 euros ($48,000) in damages.
The European Court of Human Rights rules that Russia's gay propaganda law encourages homophobia, reinforces prejudice and violates the right to freedom of speech.