Police investigate gay pride attacker

Apr 02, 2007
BNS

The Latvian National Police will launch a criminal prosecution case against Viktors Birze, the head of a radical right-wing nationalist party National Force Union, for inciting public disorder during a sexual minorities festival last summer.

The Riga regional prosecutor's office said that Birze and one of his supporters, Valdis Rosans, will be prosecuted for hooliganism in a group, causing bodily injuries and damage of property, and showing resistance to law enforcement authorities.

Under the Latvian Penal Law, such crimes carry a sentence of up to seven years in jail.

On July 22 2006, anti-gay activists calling themselves the "No Pride" movement attacked members of Latvian and foreign gay and lesbian organizations at several venues of the gay pride festival in Riga. They threw tomatoes, eggs and excrements at participants of the gay festival.

Police detained 14 people during the disturbances. The court imposed administrative punishments on some of the detainees, but the prosecutor's office appealed the court's decision, believing that criminal procedures should be launched.

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