MOSCOW, October 21 (RAPSI) – Gay marriage supporters who were prohibited from holding a rally in central Moscow have lodged a complaint with the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR), RIA Novosti reported on Tuesday, citing their representative Nikolai Alekseyev.

Moscow authorities rejected an application for the rally filed by gay activists in October 2013. Authorities referred to the federal law banning promotion of non-traditional sexual relations among minors. Gay activists turned to the Moscow’s Tverskoy District Court which declared the decision lawful. The Moscow City Court upheld the ruling.

Organizers of the rally claim that their rights granted by the European Convention on Human Rights (Convention) were violated. They specifically raise claims under Article 11 of the Convention which protects the right to freedom of assembly and association, Article 13 which provides right to an effective remedy, and Article 14 which contains a prohibition of discrimination.

Alekseyev alleges that for the last year 90 applications were turned down by Moscow authorities. All the refusals were challenged first in a Russian court and then in the ECHR, according to Alekseyev.

In the meantime, Russia's Constitutional Court ruled in September that the law on "gay propaganda" among minors is not in breach of the Constitution.

 The law levies fines for promoting homosexuality to 1 million rubles ($30,500) for legal entities, 5,000 rubles ($150) for individuals, and  50,000 rubles (over $1,500) for officials. Legal entities may also be suspended for 90 days for promoting non-traditional sexual relationship among minors.