Russian Minister: IOC Is Wrong, We WILL Enforce Anti-Gay Laws During Olympics

Russian Minister of Sports Vitaly Mutko says that despite the "assurances" claimed by the International Olympic Committee, Russia will indeed arrest any athlete or fan who violates their ban on "homosexual propaganda." Via Russia's state news agency:

The IOC told R-Sport Friday it "has received assurances from the highest level of government in Russia that the legislation will not affect those attending or taking part in the Games," which start February 7. But in the first reaction from the government since the IOC made that claim, Mutko appeared to set the record straight. "No one is forbidding an athlete with non-traditional sexual orientation from coming to Sochi, but if he goes onto the street and starts propagandizing it, then of course he will be held accountable," Mutko told R-Sport. The legislation, signed into law by President Vladimir Putin in June, levies fines for such offenses from 800,000 rubles ($24,000) to 1 million rubles ($30,500) for legal entities, from 4,000 rubles ($120) to 5,000 rubles ($150) for individuals and from 40,000 rubles ($1,220) to 50,000 rubles ($1,530) for officials.

Human Rights Campaign head Chad Griffin was totally correct last week when he told the IOC that they could not trust the Russian government.