Baird blasts Russia’s ‘hateful’ anti-gay law, after pushing privately for change

CP24375882
Minister of Foreign Affairs John Baird responds to a question during question period in the House of Commons on Parliament Hill in Ottawa on Monday June 3, 2013. Baird denounced Russia\'s controversial new anti-gay law as hateful Thursday, saying it could incite violence. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Sean Kilpatrick

OTTAWA – Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird says Russia’s new anti-gay law is hateful and could incite violence.

Baird tells The Canadian Press that Ottawa has expressed concerns privately to the Russian government on eight occasions before and after President Vladimir Putin signed the controversial bill into law in June.

Baird says he is deeply concerned about Thursday’s comments by Russia’s sports minister that the new law will be enforced during the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi.

Baird says Canada will work with like-minded countries, such as the United States and the United Kingdom, to pressure the Russian government to change the law ahead of the Olympics.

Among other things, the law bans gay pride rallies.

It has sparked calls for boycotts of the Olympics and Russian vodka.

News from © The Canadian Press, . All rights reserved.
This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Join the Conversation!

Want to share your thoughts, add context, or connect with others in your community?

Create a free account

The Canadian Press

The Canadian Press is Canada's trusted news source and leader in providing real-time, bilingual multimedia stories across print, broadcast and digital platforms.

Related Articles