Saint Petersburg, Russia’s second-largest city, has repealed the controversial ‘gay propaganda’ law.
The city’s lawmakers decide to repeal the local measure as it a federal ban of “homosexual propaganda” is in place in all of Russia.
The city was among the first to introduce anti-gay laws, doing so in 2012.
Vitaly Milonov, who was co-sponsor of the original legislation in St. Petersburg, said he will continue to fight against “gay propaganda”.
Lawyer and LGBT rights activist Nikolai Alekseev, who was the only person to be charged under the law in its active two years, suggested Milonov was “scared” the law would be forcibly overturned by the European Court of Human Rights.
The court is set to rule on several cases from Russia after activists were prosecuted under regional “gay propaganda” bans.
Activists believe that if the case is ruled in their favour, the result could eventually lead to the repeal of the federal ban.
Alekseev said: “‘Milonov is obviously scared and decided to not wait for the humiliating verdict of the European Court of Human Rights.”
