Yuri Guaiana, an Italian activist for
the 'Certi Diritti' LGBT rights association, was freed Thursday
after being detained in Moscow while on his way to deliver a
petition to prosecutors in the Russian capital over the
treatment of gays in Chechnya, Foreign Affairs Undersecretary
Benedetto Della Vedova tweeted.
Guaiana told ANSA after his release that "I have just been
released, now I'm rushing to the hotel in a car laid on by the
consulate, I'll pack and I'll try to leave the country as soon
as possible, which is fundamental, because there is a trial
against me".
He said he had been charged with staging an unauthorised
demonstration and resisting, "something which is absolutely
untrue".
Foreign Minister Angelino Alfano congratulated the Italian
embassy in Moscow on an "excellent" job in securing Guaiana's
release.
Earlier Della Vedova said the Italian consul had visited
Guaiana, who was "well".
Earlier Guaiana told ANSA over the phone that "they told us
we are in administrative detention, we don't know what's going
to happen now but for now they are treating us well and there
has been no violence".
He said he and four Russian activists were arrested near
Moscow's prosecutor general's office while trying to deliver the
signatures for a petition against the allegedly harsh treatment
of gays in Chechnya.
Earlier he told Italian radio that "they put us all with just
one policeman to guard us, before there were two. They come in
all the time to ask us questions and request documents,
espeically my visa. We don't know what will happen now".
Guaiana said he had not eaten or drunk anything and thanked
Della Vedova for stepping in, as well as the consul who met him.
"They are working to free us all," he said.
Justice Minister Andrea Orlando said "today's news arouses
concern" while European Parliament LGBT group co-chair Daniele
Viotti said "the silence of the government and (Foreign Minister
Angelino) Alfano on the gay issue in Chechnya is deafening".
Viotti called on the government to "bring home Yuri Guaiana".
Amnesty International said the detention of the acticists was
a "violation of fundamental rights".
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