On May 18 Interregional Movement  For Rights of Lesbians, Gays, Bisexuals and Transgender People In Russia (LGBT Rights) addressed several questions about ensuring rights of people with homosexual identity in Republic Belarus and abroad to the president of the country, Alexander Lukashenko, to the Minister of foreign affairs, Sergey Martynov, and to ambassador of Belarus Republic in Moscow, Vasiliy Dolgolev.

Request was prompted by refusal of representatives of Belarusian Embassy in Moscow to protect rights of Belarusian citizens who were apprehended by police during so called “Slavic Gay Pride” on May 16.

As stressed in request: “Our movement does not support forms and methods of organizers of this event, but our movement is opposed to any form of LGBT discrimination, despite of citizenship or ethnicity”.

During all time of detention of Belarusian citizens in police department of “Ramenki” not one Embassy worker deemed necessary to visit apprehended citizens or ask about their fate.

More than that, before being brought to police one of participants of Belarusian delegation, Sergey Androsenko, called Belarusian Embassy and asked Embassy representative to come to police station “Ramenki”.  But Embassy representatives refused to come, explaining that Belarusian activists participated in gay event against prohibition of authorities and that is why they will not protect their rights.

“We consider the position of Belarusian Embassy in Moscow in regard of Belarusian citizens as absolutely inadequate. The fact that Belarusian Embassy feels possible to protect rights of their own citizens selectively, on the basis of their sexual and gender identity, is incomprehensible”.

“We are deeply concerned and must protest the fact that Belarusian Embassy in Moscow allows violation of basic human rights. We think that denial of any possible legal and moral help for homosexual people from Belarusian officials need to be condemned”.

“Belarusian Embassy showed total disregard to the fate of their citizens only because of prejudice towards homosexuality”, - said in request.

Also following questions were addressed to the Minister of foreign affairs of Belarus:  

“Who is personally responsible for Embassy work and for such violation of citizens’ rights?

How the control of Embassy work on protection of human rights of Belarusian citizens is realized?

On what principles the support of Belarusian citizens abroad is based?

Does the Embassy’s refusal to provide help for Belarusian citizens because of their sexual orientation constitute the standard practice of Belarusian Ministry of foreign affairs or does it apply only to it’s office in Moscow?

Does Ministry have any intentions to ensure that such human rights violations of Belarusian citizens abroad would no longer occur? What kind of actions will that be?
Is the work of embassies of Republic Belarus based on the principle of equal access to human rights and nondiscrimination on any basis, including sexual and gender identity?”

In request to the president Republic Belarus, Alexander Lukashenko, representatives of Interregional Movement  For Rights of Lesbians, Gays, Bisexuals and Transgender People In Russia (LGBT Rights) ask following questions:

“What measures are taken to insure equal access to human rights for all citizens despite their place of location, sexual or gender identity?

Are there laws in Republic Belarus, which allow all citizens to have full access to human rights realization despite their sexual and gender identity?

How human rights are realized in Republic Belarus?

Is discrimination of homosexual people or transgender identity a part of national policy of Republic Belarus?

Are there existing laws that protect citizens of Republic Belarus from discrimination based on sexual or gender identity?”