Chechen authorities respond to Movsar Eskerkhanov's coming-out
The authorities of Chechnya are willing to forgive Movsar Eskerkhanov, who apologized for his interview to magazine Time. This has been reported today by Djambulat Umarov, Chechen Minister for National Policy, Foreign Relations, Press and Information.
The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that on November 13, on the air of the Chechen TV Channel, Movsar Eskerkhanov, a native of Chechnya, who tried to obtain refugee status in Germany, apologized to the authorities of Chechnya. The man has explained that he was forced to publicly confess to homosexuality by Western journalists, aimed at "disgracing Chechens."
In late September, the US magazine Time published an article about Movsar Eskerkhanov, who left for Germany several years ago. The man said that by telling the people his story he wanted to help other Chechen gays, the BBC Russian Service reported on November 14. BBC reporters noted that the man was the first Chechen native who had openly declared his homosexuality.
"Of course, we will treat Movsar Eskerkhanov with understanding, with sadness ... We are not cannibals, we understand everything perfectly well and we do cherish any bad feelings ... If Allah accepts repentance, then why should we not accept it?" said Djambulat Umarov as quoted by the TASS.
The young man himself has said that he is not going to return to Chechnya, and if he is not granted asylum in Germany, then Chechnya will get "his dead body, but not his soul". The current whereabouts of Movsar Eskerkhanov is not known, the "Medusa" news outlet reports.
Full text of the article is available on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’.