A group of Russian activists filed on Friday lawsuits against U.S. pop diva Madonna and organizers of her St. Petersburg concert seeking $10.5 million in compensation for “moral damages.”
“These lawsuits are against Madonna Louise Veronica Ciccone, the concert’s organizers (PMI company) and the concert hall,” lawyer Alexander Pochuyev said.
He said a total of nine people filed the lawsuits demanding compensation for “moral damages” stemming from “the open promotion of homosexuality” during her August 9 concert in Russia’s second largest city.
“Some of these people attended the concert and others saw media reports,” the lawyer added.
During her show at St. Peterburg’s largest concert hall, which was attended by 25,000 people, Madonna complained about “growing intolerance” in the world and called for solidarity with gays and lesbians. She had pink armbands distributed in the audience and asked her fans to raise their hands in a sign of support for homosexuals.
Madonna also spoke out in support of all-female group Pussy Riot. Three members of the band were sentenced to two years in jail earlier on Friday over a February protest in Moscow’s largest cathedral against Orthodox Church support for Vladimir Putin ahead of the March 4 presidential polls that returned him to the Kremlin for a third term.
A group of activists from the St. Petersburg-based civil group Parental Control earlier asked police to probe Madonna’s actions, claiming that the concert was attended by children as young as 12 and accusing the singer of violating a local law prohibiting the promotion of homosexuality among minors.
St. Petersburg’s controversial law came into effect in March and has been strongly criticized by rights groups.
