11:40, 28 June 2018

PACE calls on Russia to investigate persecution of LGBT people in Chechnya

The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) adopted a resolution calling on Russia to investigate the "persecution of LGBTI communities" in Chechnya or allow it to be conducted by an international human rights organization.

Let us remind you that in April 2017, the newspaper "Novaya Gazeta" reported on mass detentions and killings in Chechnya of men of non-traditional sexual orientation, as well as about a "secret prison" for gays in Argun. Local residents interviewed by the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent said that they had long been aware of physical violence against gays in the republic.

On April 3, 2018, the head of the "Russian LGBT Network" reported that during a year, his organization helped 114 LGBT people to leave Chechnya, and 92 LGBT people had already left Russia.

The PACE urged Russia to protect legally and physically victims of persecution, members of their families and witnesses and to ensure the safety of rights defenders engaged in protecting LGBTI people.

The PACE report also notes that the member states of the Council of Europe should provide protection, medical and psychological assistance to all "victims and witnesses to the persecution of LGBTI people" who left Chechnya.

PACE delegates called the persecution of LGBTI people a "shocking" fact and associated it with the actions of the Russian authorities, which created a "climate of intolerance" in the country, the "Interfax" reports.

This article was originally published on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’ on June 28, 2018 at 02:41 am MSK. To access the full text of the article, click here.