Reuters: Oddly Enough: Berlusconi would not have been tried if gay: Putin

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Berlusconi would not have been tried if gay: Putin Sep 19th 2013, 18:45 Tweet Share this Email Print Italy's Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi looks on during a news conference at Chigi Palace in Rome August 4, 2011. Credit: Reuters/Tony Gentile VALDAI, Russia | Thu Sep 19, 2013 2:45pm EDT VALDAI, Russia (Reuters) - Russian President Vladimir Putin rallied behind his old friend Silvio Berlusconi on Thursday, saying the former Italian prime minister would not have faced trial for having sex with a minor if he were gay. "Berlusconi is being tried because he lives with women. If he were homosexual, no one would lift a finger against him," he told a gathering of journalists and Russia experts. Putin's comment provoked laughter in the audience over what appeared to be a reference to criticism abroad over a law he signed this year banning the spread of "anti-gay propaganda" among minors in Russia. Berlusconi is appealing against a conviction for paying for sex with a former nightclub dancer when she was under 18. He has also been convicted of tax fraud. He and Putin regard each other as friends and the former KGB spy has proved loyal, telling a conference in 2011 that "€œhowever much they nag Signor Berlusconi for his special attitude to the beautiful sex ... he has shown himself as a responsible statesman." (Reporting by Thomas Grove, writing by Timothy Heritage; Editing by Janet Lawrence) Tweet this Link this Share this Digg this Email Reprints We welcome comments that advance the story through relevant opinion, anecdotes, links and data. If you see a comment that you believe is irrelevant or inappropriate, you can flag it to our editors by using the report abuse links. Views expressed in the comments do not represent those of Reuters. For more information on our comment policy, see http://blogs.reuters.com/fulldisclosure/2010/09/27/toward-a-more-thoughtful-conversation-on-stories/ Comments (0) Be the first to comment on reuters.com. Add yours using the box above.

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