BELARUS NEWS AND ANALYSIS

DATE:

03/08/2006

Latvia Belarus Feud Over Gay Video

by 365Gay.com Newscenter Staff

(Riga) It isn't exactly all out war, but neighboring Baltic states Latvia and Belarus are in a battle of words and gay video tapes.

Last Sunday Belarus state television showed what was purported to be hidden camera footage of a Latvian diplomat having gay sex.

Latvian Foreign Minister, Artis Pabriks, called the tape an "unprecedented attack" on the diplomat and accused the Belarus government of being behind it.

Wednesday he ordered the Belarus embassy's first secretary out of the country for actions "incompatible with the status of a diplomat". Pabriks refused to elaborate on the allegation.

The Belarus broadcast came only days after police raided the Latvian embassy worker's home in Minsk. State television claimed police had seized pornographic material.

Latvia protested the claim saying the video cassettes contained recordings of Belarus TV news bulletins.

Both countries have a history of attacking gays and accusing someone of being gay is a standard ploy in trying to attack a person's credibility.

The images on the video shown on television were grainy and obviously a home video. Whether the person on the tape was actually the diplomat may never be known.

Last month hundreds of skinheads, members of the extreme nationalist group ANSS and members of the Orthodox Church threw excrement and eggs at about 50 gay rights activists and their supporters as they left a prayer service for LGBT rights.

The service, held in an Anglican church, was organized after officials refused to allow a gay pride parade citing the potential for violence.

Source:

http://www.365gay.com/Newscon06/08/080206latvia.htm