(Moscow) A Russian LGBT rights group has filed suit against President Dmitry Medvedev in the European Court of Human Rights, accusing him of violating the constitution by refusing to intervene in a longstanding dispute with the mayor of Moscow.

Last year, Moscow Pride went to court in Moscow accusing Medvedev of failing to respond to pleas to intervene in the continued refusal of Moscow Mayor Yury Luzhkov to grant a Pride permit.

Russian law requires the President to reply to appeals within a 30 day period. Last July, a Moscow court ruled that Medvedev is immune from prosecution.

The Court said that the case against Medvedev could not be considered in civil proceedings, but it did not specify how citizens could make the head of state accountable.

Despite Mayor Luzhkov’s refusal to grant a parade permit last year, the third Moscow Pride took place on Sunday, June 1. Gay activists picketed the monument to the Russian composer Peter Tchaikovsky and then hung a huge banner from an apartment in front of Moscow City Hall.

The banner read: “Rights to gays and lesbians! Homophobia of Moscow Mayor should be prosecuted.”

In 2007, the mayor refused a parade license citing security concerns. Gays, many of them from the European Union,  marched anyway. About 20 people were arrested at the May 27 parade, including Alexeyev, two European parliamentarians and British gay advocate Peter Tatchell.

Charges against the foreigners were later dropped and Alexeyev was fined 1000 rubles – about $40.

Also in 2007, a Moscow court tossed out a lawsuit accusing Lushkov of libel over claims he made that gay rights marches were “satanic.” The court ruled that Moscow Pride leaders had failed to prove that the remarks were incendiary or intended to vilify gays in general.

Last January, a Moscow judge acquitted 13 gay activists arrested for staging a protest outside a polling station during national elections.  But last month, a Moscow court said the mayor had not exceeded his authority in banning gay demonstrations including pride marches.

And last December, Luzhkov said he would continue to ban gay pride parades in the city to prevent spreading HIV/AIDS.

“We have banned and will continue to forbid this propaganda by sexual minorities, as they could turn out to be one of the factors in the spread of HIV infections,” Luzhkov told an international AIDS conference.

“Certain homegrown democrats believe that sexual minorities can be a primary indicator and symbol of democracy, but we will forbid the dissemination of these opinions in the future as well.”

The European Court is slow to take up cases.  It could be more than a year before any of the lawsuits is heard.