Story highlights Russia state ordered to pay almost 50,000 euro in damages, costs

European Court of Human Rights rules that the law reinforces stigma against gay people

(CNN) A European court has ruled that Russia's so-called "gay propaganda law" is discriminatory, promotes homophobia and violates the European Convention on Human Rights.

The law bans "propaganda of non-traditional sexual relations around minors " and was justified by Russia's Duma as a necessary measure to protect children from homosexual influence.

On Tuesday the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg, France found that three gay Russian activists were discriminated against and their right to freedom of expression violated when they were fined for protesting against the law.

Nikolay Bayev, Aleksey Kiselev and Nikolay Alekseyev staged protests between 2009 and 2012, holding banners stating that homosexuality is natural and normal, and not a perversion, according to the court ruling. The activists had appealed to higher Russian courts without success.

Russia's Justice Ministry denied the law was discriminatory or that it restricted freedom of speech, and said it would appeal the ruling within three months, state-run media TASS reported.

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