Moskalkova: data on gay kidnapping in Chechnya have not yet been confirmed
MOSCOW, April 18. /TASS/. Information about kidnapping and secret detention in Chechnya of persons of different sexual orientation, which wrote “Novaya Gazeta”, to date not confirmed. This was announced by the Commissioner for human rights in the Russian Federation Tatiana Moskalkova.
“I got all the answers to my queries from the General Prosecutor’s office, Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation, from the interior Ministry and the Prosecutor’s office. They reported that cases of missing people appeals to him on this occasion was not. I asked representatives of the human rights community (Chechnya) to check about the secret prisons, they were at the address indicated in the “Novaya Gazeta”, but also has not established the existence of secret prisons. There is a detention center, where they examined every corner and found no confirmation of the situation, which is described in “Novaya Gazeta,” — said Moskalkova.
“My further testing (publications in “Novaya Gazeta”) is complicated by the fact that I do not know the names, the specific facts of violence against people. I asked the correspondent, who works at Novaya Gazeta, to give me possible information. To date, these data are not available,” — said the Commissioner for human rights.
Moskalkova has reminded that the Russian legislation envisages a number of measures to protect witnesses of crimes up to customization and name changes. “I urge, if you committed a serious crime or violence, so people are not afraid to address in law enforcement agencies and, of course, the Commissioner for human rights. Otherwise, the situation becomes rather complicated and for testing, and findings of the audit”, she concluded.
History
“Novaya Gazeta” on April 1 published an article “honour Killing”, which dealt with the detention and possible murder of inhabitants of the Republic because of their sexual orientation. The publication cited anonymous sources in law enforcement, and victims, whose names were not disclosed.
Council under the head of Chechnya for the development of civil society and human rights stated that it had reviewed the publication and found indirect evidence of the information provided. The corresponding statement of the regional Council was published on 4 April on the website of the Council under RF President on development of civil society and human rights.
April 13 “the New newspaper” has published on its website a statement about the threats to the address of the publisher. These threats, according to the publication, contained in the resolution, which was adopted at a meeting of clergy and opinion leaders of Chechnya mosque in Central Grozny on April 3. Resolution on article “the New newspaper” about the persecution of the inhabitants of the Republic because of their sexual orientation. One of the paragraphs of the resolution, said in a statement, “openly calls for violence” in this paragraph refers to “vengeance to the instigators”.
Adviser to the head of Chechnya for religious Affairs, Adam Shahidov, in turn, said that journalists misinterpreted the resolution of the Chechen clergy of retribution “the New newspaper”. As he said in an interview with TASS, it was about a lawsuit against the publication for defamation, and soon such an appeal the court will be sent.