Moscow: attack on two LGBT activists

On November 11, 2017, two LGBT conference participants Zoya Matisova and Nadezhda Aronchik were attacked in Moscow.
November 11, 2017 in Moscow was two participants of an LGBT conference were attacked.

It is reported that 42-year-old psychologist Zoya Matisova and 23-year-old Nadezhda Aronchik left the building where the conference was held and walked in the direction of the metro, when four strangers caught up with them on the street young people. One of them asked if they had anything to do with LGBT conferences, and without waiting for an answer, young people attacked the activists: Matisova was splashed with some kind of caustic liquid based on acetone in her eyes, and Aronchik was hit in the face. In the process, young people shouted homophobic slogans. After the attack, they ran away.

While Matisova tried to wash eyes with water from a bottle, Aronchik saw that the attackers were returning. Both activists tried to run away in the direction of the building from which they had left conferences, but young people caught up with them. Matisova was pushed in the back and she fell, Aronchik fell beside her, stumbling. After that, the attackers fled again.

Both activists received bruises, and Matisova - also a chemical burn of the eyes.

Arriving at the venue conference, the victims called an ambulance and the police.

Despite the fact that both activists wrote statements to the police, about initiating a criminal case on the fact attacks were not reported. According to Matisova and Aronchik, they also do not know about carrying out any operational-search activities.

The conference organizers decided to cancel the event due to the fact that they could not guarantee the safety of its participants.

Recall that this is not the first attack on LGBT activists in recent months. On August 12 this year, after the LGBT Pride, which took place on the Champ de Mars, a group of young people sprayed pepper spray on the faces of activists and journalists and fled the scene. On November 20, 2017, in Yaroslavl, a group of young people tried to disrupt a rally in memory of murdered transgender people. Activists were pelted with eggs and frightened with stun guns. Sources

• Moscow Police Fail to Effectively Investigate Brutal Attack on LGBT Activists // Human rights watch. 2017. 22 ноября.