- Title: Activists call for Moscow to curb anti-LGBT violence in Chechnya
- Date: 8th April 2017
- Summary: ST. PETERSBURG, RUSSIA (APRIL 5, 2017) (REUTERS) LGBT NETWORK ACTIVIST, IGOR KOCHETKOV, ENTERING ROOM AND TALKING TO HIS COLLEAGUE SIGN ON WALL READING (English): 'SOME PEOPLE ARE GAY. GET OVER IT!' (SOUNDBITE) (Russian) LGBT NETWORK ACTIVIST, IGOR KOCHETKOV, SAYING: "We can speak with certainty that at least over 100 people have been kidnapped, that those people have been held in prison illegally. They were tortured with electricity, and dozens of people have been killed. Today, we can say this with certainty." VARIOUS OF RAINBOW FLAG ON WALL (SOUNDBITE) (Russian) LGBT NETWORK ACTIVIST, IGOR KOCHETKOV, SAYING: "Federal authorities are not doing anything at the moment. So far we have not received a single answer. We think that the statement made by the president's press secretary (Dmitry) Peskov is stunningly cynical and, in my opinion, close to criminal. Because as he put it: 'If anyone has any problems, they are free to address the law enforcement bodies.' That is to say that they should supposedly address the same bodies which had kidnapped them. That is according to the opinion of Mr. Peskov."
- Embargoed: 22nd April 2017 13:12
- Keywords: Russia Chechnya gay LGBT gay rights human rights
- Location: ST PETERSBURG / MOSCOW / GROZNY, RUSSIA
- City: ST PETERSBURG / MOSCOW / GROZNY, RUSSIA
- Country: Russia
- Topics: Conflicts/War/Peace
- Reuters ID: LVA0016BJFCJR
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text:Human rights and LGBT activists recently reported the crackdown on the gay community in Russia's Chechnya region, with scores of people detained and subject to torture.
LGBT network activist, Igor Kochetkov, said at least over 100 people have been kidnapped. Deputy director of Human Rights Watch (HRW) Russia, Tanya Lokshina, confirmed this number and added that according to her sources at least three of the detainees had died, while others had been beaten or raped.
According to the media the surge of detentions by the security institutions in the predominantly Muslim republic followed a series of requests for gay-parades sent in March by the LGBT activists to the authorities of several cities in the Caucasus. None of the requests was satisfied, but this information inspired a number of anti-gay protests in the region.
Spokesman for the head of the region, Alvi Karimov, was quoted as saying there was no gay community in the republic, adding that if there were gays in Chechnya 'there would be no problems with them, as the relatives would send them to the destination with no return'. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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