IOC defends gay activist arrests in Russia
By Josh Haggis
The International Olympic Committee has defended Russia’s arrest of LGBT activists, despite reports of police violence against protestors.
The International Olympic Committee has said Russian authorities were acting in accordance with its ‘gay propaganda’ law when 14 protesters were arrested on the day of the Olympic opening ceremony.
There are reports suggesting that those being held in Moscow were beaten during their arrest.
“As in many countries in the world, in Russia, you need permission before staging a protest. We understand this was the reason that they were temporarily detained,” said an IOC spokeswoman.
According to the New York Times, Russian police arrested a total of 61 protestors on the opening day of the Winter Olympics in Sochi.