Zone for minority fans at Russia World Cup forced to move

A space for gay and ethnic minority football fans in Saint Petersburg during the World Cup was forced to relocate at the last minute in a move activists believe was politically motivated.

The owners of the building that was set to host Diversity House, where fans could meet and watch matches, told organisers days ahead of the opening that they were withdrawing their co-operation.

Piara Powar, director of the international anti-discrimination network FARE that is overseeing the project, said the move was "familiar" to rights groups in Saint Petersburg.

"They recognise it as the method through which the city authorities shut down activities which do not conform to their political outlook," he said in a statement Saturday.

He said the last-minute pull-out appeared to be a "political attack of the kind that shows how debates about human rights are curtailed by powerful conservative political forces in Russia."