Rights groups are up in arms about the Russian Supreme Court\u2019s decision to label LGBT organizations as extremists. New legislation to ban activity of the groups passed the Duma on November 30.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI call on the Russian authorities to repeal, immediately, laws that place improper restrictions on the work of human rights defenders or that discriminate against LGBT people,\u201d\u00a0 says UN High Commissioner<\/a> for Human Rights Volker T\u00fcrk. \u201dThe law must never be used to perpetuate inequality and discrimination.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n The high commissioner\u2019s former subordinate Craig Mokhiber<\/a>, in his resignation letter to Turk over the UN\u2019s inaction in Gaza last month, said the UN must abandon the \u201csubjugation of international law to the dictates of presumed political expediency.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n With the UN now calling for a release of all Israeli hostages<\/a> and no mention of Palestinian prisoners, Mokhiber\u2019s suggestion doesn\u2019t seem forthcoming.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Although the UN held a vigil for 101<\/a> members killed in Gaza on November 13, they stopped short of calling on Israeli authorities to \u201cimmediately\u201d stop killing civilians, but instead issued a \u201cstrong condemnation<\/a>.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Human Rights Watch<\/a> couched their comments about the Russian decision in harsher terms than the UN. \u201cThe assault on LGBT rights has become a symbol of Russia\u2019s rejection of universal human rights, as the government positions Russia as the defender of so-called traditional values in opposition to \u2018the collective West,\u2019\u201d said Tanya Lokshina, the organization\u2019s associate Europe and Central Asia director.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThe legislation does not provide any exclusion for art, scientific studies, or education and perpetuates a false and damaging messaging that tries to link LGBT people with pedophiles,\u201d she continued.<\/p>\n\n\n\n