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>From the Action Alerts column in the December 1992 issue of
Socialism and Sexuality, the quarterly newsletter of the
Lesbian/Gay/Bisexual Commission of the Democratic Socialists
of America.  You may reproduce this information freely pro-
vided you credit the source.

For information on the Commission's electronic mailing list
contact [email-masked]

Subscriptions to S+S are $8 per year payable to Chicago DSA,
1608 N. Milwaukee #403, Chicago, IL 60647.
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November 24, 1992

FINLAND DENIES ASYLUM TO GAY RUSSIAN

Finland's Ministry of Internal Affairs has denied an application
for refugee status to Konstantine Gontcharov, who fled from Russia
to Finland in January 1992 to escape persecution in Russia based on
his sexual orientation.  The Finnish ministry ruled that Article 121
of Russia's penal code, which criminalizes male sodomy, has not been
applied since 1989 and that there was no danger of anti-gay persecution
in Russia.

Gontcharov originally fled to Finland after continuous harassment
from Russian officials because of his activity in a gay-rights
organization in Moscow.  He was not permitted to serve in the
Russian military because of his "sexual disease"; his military
passport has been marked to indicate that he is a homosexual, and
he therefore may experience difficulty finding a job or receiving
an education if he returns to Russia.  Gontcharov has filed an
appeal to the Finnish government.

WHAT YOU CAN DO:

Write to the following officials of the Finnish government,
reminding them that Article 121 is still in force and that
the International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission
estimates that several thousand gay men are still incarcerated
in Russia under this law.  Also inform them that in this year
alone, four gay men from Russia have received asylum in Canada
based on evidence of anti-gay persecution in Russia, and that
four other gay Russians have similar cases pending in the U.S.

Mr. Mauri Pekkarinen
Minister of the Interior
Kirkkokatu 12
00170 Helsinki
FINLAND

President Dr. Mauno Koivisto
Office of the President
Mariankatu 2
00170 Helsinki
FINLAND

Ambassador Jukka Valtasaari
Finnish Embassy
3116 New Mexico Ave. NW
Washington, DC 20016

202-363-2430 voice
202-363-8233 fax

Air-mail letters from the U.S. to Finland require a 50-cent stamp.
Note that Finland's President Koivisto is a member of the Finnish
Social Democratic Party, a sister party of DSA in the Socialist
International.

Please send copies of any letters you send or receive during
this campaign to the International Gay and Lesbian Human
Rights Commission at 540 Castro St., San Francisco, CA 94114.