Amnesty International called on the Russian authorities to investigate the facts of possible reprisals against gays in the Chechen Republic. About it reports a press-service of the international human rights organization.
“Amnesty International calls on the heads of the Investigative Committee Alexander Bastrykin, acting head of the SU IC of Russia on Chechnya Sergei Sokolov and the Commissioner for human rights Tatyana Moskalkova immediately to investigate reports of abductions, torture and killings of homosexuals in Chechnya,” — said in a statement.
The organization is urged to ensure the safety of any person exposed in Chechnya is at risk because of their sexual orientation, and to prevent further discriminatory comments from officials of the Republic.
1 April, “Novaya Gazeta” published a material about the mass arrests in Chechnya suspected of homosexuality men.
According to sources in the Republican interior Ministry, the region is a “preventive cleaning”.
Later edition published anonymous testimonies of gays who allegedly failed to leave the Republic. According to one of the men, he and other detainees were tortured with electric shocks and beaten with sticks, claiming to give contacts of other gay people. Releasing them “in the best case for a huge ransom.”
Press Secretary of the head of Chechnya, Alvi Karimov commented on the publication of “Interfax” reported that in Chechnya there is no persecution of gays, because in the country there are gay. “If Chechnya were people, law enforcement would not have any worries with them, because they would be the relatives would be sent via email no return,” gave Karimov.
3 APR this story commented on in the Kremlin. Press Secretary of the President Dmitry Peskov said that the President is aware of the situation with the mass arrests of gays in Chechnya. However, according to Peskov, this is the Kremlin’s agenda.