Human rights defenders announce campaign of solidarity with Chechen LGBT people

Today, on the International Day Against Homophobia, the Anti-Discrimination Centre "Memorial", the Centre for Civil Liberties and the FIDH, are launching a campaign of messages of solidarity with LGBT people of Chechnya and Donbas.

Let us remind us that on April 1, the newspaper "Novaya Gazeta" reported about the mass detentions and killings of LGBT people. The residents of Chechnya interviewed by the "Caucasian Knot" reported that they were aware about the physical violence used against gays in the republic long before those publications. The Chechen Ministry of Internal Affairs (MIA) denies the information about the persecution of gays.

"A terrible wave of violence motivated by sexual orientation or gender identity in Chechnya has recently been widely discussed. The media report evidence of threats, extortion, extrajudicial detentions, and secret prisons, where dozens of people are tortured," reports Anti-Discrimination Centre "Memorial".

Meanwhile, according to the human rights defenders, "the authorities of Chechnya deny not only repression, but also the very existence of LGBT people in the region." The activists call on people "to join the campaign #StopLGBTpersecution and to send photos and words of support to the platform."

Participants of the action are also invited to send video messages and images with the logo of the campaign in defence of the rights of LGBT people.

The campaign has already been supported by writer Jonathan Littell, singer and actress Jane Birkin. Solidarity has been also expressed by many MPS of the European Parliament.

Full text of the article is available on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’.