Welcome to the gay-hating Olympics: Footage of horrific beatings and humiliation handed out by homophobic Russian gangs emerges days before country hosts winter Olympics

Human Rights Watch compiles clips of homophobic violence in Russia

Victims from many major cities report being targeted over sexuality

Country has been criticised for laws banning 'gay propaganda' to children



Russia must address a worsening situation of widespread violence against lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people, human rights campaigners said today.

Human Rights Watch has compiled a stark video incorporating clips from some of the worst examples of homophobic violence in Russia which has been filmed and uploaded to the internet.



It hopes to pressure the Russian government into action by inciting international opprobrium ahead of the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, which begins on Friday.



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Victims: LGBT campaigners stand in a huddle as they are photographed after being beaten by homophobic gangs during a protest, in a grab taken from a video of clips compiled by Human Rights Watch

A man yanks on the bag held by one of the gay activists during the protest, in scenes increasingly common in Russia

The country has faced fierce criticism over the climate of fear endured by Russian gays ahead of the Games, with opposition focused around a new law banning the dissemination of 'gay propaganda' to children.

'The Russian authorities have the power to protect the rights of LGBT people, but instead they are ignoring their responsibility to do so,' said Tanya Cooper, Russia researcher at Human Rights Watch.

'By turning a blind eye to hateful homophobic rhetoric and violence, Russian authorities are sending a dangerous message as the world is about to arrive on its doorstep for the Olympics that there is nothing wrong with attacks on gay people.'

Victims in cities including Moscow, St. Petersburg, and Novosibirsk told researchers from Human Rights Watch they were attacked in public places, abducted, beaten, harassed, threatened, and psychologically abused.

They told the campaign group that they were afraid to go to the police to report violence, fearing further harassment and believing the police would not bother to pursue their attackers.

When victims did lodge complaints with the police, few investigations followed, it is claimed.

A gang filmed beating a lone gay man in a video uploaded to and distributed on a Russian social network

Human Rights Watch hopes to pressure the Russian government into action over violent homophobia by inciting international opprobrium ahead of the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, which begins on Friday

There has been a disturbing rise in the publication of videos on social networks showing self-described vigilantes dishing out punishment beatings and humiliations to gay people.

Starting in late 2012, numerous groups mainly consisting of radical nationalists began attacking and harassing gay people in dozens of Russian cities.

Mostly claiming to be fighting pedophilia, these groups lure men and boys to meet, accuse them of being gay, humiliate and beat them, and post videos of the proceedings on social networks, intentionally exposing their victims to further abuse.

These groups have posted hundreds of the sickening videos online, often barely bothering to hide their identities because of the apparent impunity in which they are able to operate.

Impunity: Many of the ultra-nationalist gangs are so unafraid of any action being taken by the authorities that they make no attempt to disguise their identities in the videos which they upload to the internet

When victims of homophobia did lodge complaints with the police, few investigations followed, it is claimed

The adoption of the federal law banning 'propaganda of non-traditional sexual relations among minors' is but one measure among several federal anti-LGBT laws proposed or adopted in the past year in Russia.

Violating the law is an administrative offense punishable by a range of fines. Media and organizations face particularly hefty fines, while foreigners who violate the law are subject to fines, up to 15 days in detention and deportation.

The law also bans representing 'traditional' and 'nontraditional' relationships as equally acceptable. That makes it illegal to say anything positive about being gay publicly or to tell a child that there is nothing wrong with being gay or being raised by gay parents.

At the same time, Human Rights Watch reports, a vicious homophobic campaign began in the media, particularly state- sponsored and state-controlled media outlets.

The group's research found that government officials, journalists, and celebrities have publicly called LGBT people 'perverts', 'sodomites', and 'abnormal', and have conflated homosexuality with pedophilia.

Climate of fear: The attacks come as several anti-homosexual laws have been passed in Russia's parliament

Horrific: The ferocity of the violence seen in some of the clips in HRW's compilation is shocking

Left for dead: HRW has warned the Russian government that it must get a grip on the problem

Miss Cooper said: 'The discriminatory impact of the anti-LGBT law and hateful language on state television have created a climate of intolerance against the Russian LGBT community.

'Russian leaders should denounce, not feed, homophobic hysteria, or the Kremlin’s silence will be taken as condoning the violence.'

She added: 'Russian officials have long denied that discrimination against LGBT people exists, including to the International Olympic Committee, yet the hostility and violence clearly have been intensifying.