Russian Gay Rights Activist Nikolai Alekseev Taken To Minsk; Promises Return To Moscow For Protest Scheduled Next Week Against Anti-Gay Mayor Luzhkov

Nikolai Alekseev, the prominent Russian gay rights activists arrested by authorities as he attempted to board a Swiss Air Line flight to Geneva, says he has been expelled from Russia, telling Interfax “At the moment I am in Minsk. I was squeezed out to here. I was taken (from Moscow’s Domodedovo Airport) outside the city to some small town police station and was questioned there,” he said via text. “They demanded that I sign a prepared paper stating that I recall the case about gay pride parades from the European Court due to a reached agreement.” Alexeyev added that he intends to return to Russia, to Moscow for a scheduled protest next week against Moscow Mayor Yury Luzhkov, vehemently anti-gay, who has repeated refused to permit gay pride parades from taking place. “Over the next few days I will return to Russia and will attend an anti-Luzhkov picket on Tuesday. It’s a matter a principle, and I will do everything to be there.”