ST. PETERSBURG, February 6 - RAPSI. The St. Petersburg City Court has reduced the amount of litigation costs to be paid by the plaintiffs who sued popular vocalist Madonna and her concert organizers for gay propaganda, the court spokesperson told RIA Novosti on Wednesday.

The plaintiffs will have to pay circa 67,500 rubles ($2,240)  instead of 550,000 rubles ($18,260).

In mid-August, the St. Petersburg’s Moskovsky District court agreed to hear the lawsuits against Madonna and the organizers of her concert in St. Petersburg. The plaintiffs sought 333 million rubles (circa $11 million) in moral damages for alleged offences related to her support of the LGBT community.

In November, the Moskovsky District Court dismissed all nine lawsuits ruling that Madonna did not break law on the promotion of a homosexual lifestyle among minors during her concert in St. Petersburg earlier this year.

The court also ordered the plaintiffs to pay the concert organizers 550,000 rubles ($18,260) in litigation costs.

The plaintiffs appealed the ruling in the St Petersburg City Court, which ruled against them in Wednesday’s hearing, but also reduced the amount to be paid.

Each of the nine plaintiffs will have to pay 3,000 rubles ($100) to two defendants and 1,500 rubles ($50) to the third defendant. In total, the plaintiffs will have to pay circa 67,500 rubles.

The defendants asked the city court to uphold the district court decision.

One of the plaintiffs, Darya Dedova, told reporters after the hearing that they would appeal the ruling all the way up to the Supreme Court if necessary.

A St. Petersburg ordinance prohibiting “gay propaganda” among minors aroused a major controversy when it took effect on March 30.

Under the amended law, public actions intended to promote homosexual and bisexual relations and transgender issues among minors are to be punished by administrative fines amounting to 5,000 rubles ($165) for individuals, 50,000 rubles ($1,660) for officials and from 250,000 to 500,000 rubles ($8,300 to 16,600) for legal entities.

Public actions aimed at promoting pedophilia are liable to fines of 5,000 rubles ($165) for individuals, 50,000 ($1,660) rubles for officials and from 500,000 rubles ($16,600) to one million rubles ($33,200) for legal entities.