Staff at Russian newspaper Novaya Gazeta are fearing for their lives. On April 1, the paper reported that over a hundred men suspected of being gay had been abducted, abused and some even killed in Chechnya because of their perceived sexuality. The story shone a light on these grave human rights abuses, and has drawn international attention, condemnation, and action.
Leading Chechen authorities have since publicly called for the journalists to be punished. The paper has voiced fear for the safety of its staff. Journalists for the paper have been murdered for their investigations in the past decade.
The lead journalist for the story, Elena Milashina, has been forced to flee.
Journalists should be free to investigate and publish important stories like this. Journalists like Elena Milashina are brave human rights defenders who continue to shine a light on human rights abuses despite serious risks to their own safety. Instead, they have been called liars and heretics by the authorities who should be investigating their claims of abuse.
Call on Russian authorities to protect the journalists, and their freedom to report human rights abuses.
Dear Mr. Aleksandr Ivanovich Bastrykin,
Chair of the Investigation Committee of the Russian Federation,
I am writing to express my deep concern for the safety and security of journalists at Russian newspaper Novaya Gazeta.
On 1 April, Novaya Gazeta reported that over a hundred men believed to be gay had been recently abducted as part of a coordinated campaign. Following this report, Novaya Gazeta journalists received threats including a resolution adopted at a meeting on 3 April in Grozny, which included Chechen elders, public opinion leaders and Muslim theologians, which stated that “Considering that the Chechen society’s age-long foundations have been insulted, as have been Chechen men’s dignity as well as our faith, we promise that the real instigators [of this] will face retaliation, irrespective of where and who they are, however long this takes.”
Journalists have a right to freedom of expression and must be protected from threats and attacks.
As chair of the Investigation Committee of the Russian Federation I call on you to:
• Address the threats made against Novaya Gazeta staff and ensure they are promptly, effectively, and impartially investigated in accordance with Article 144 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation regarding the “obstruction of lawful professional activities of journalists”;
• Publicly condemns all threats and violence against journalists;
• Commit to bringing those responsible for threats and violence against journalists to account; and
• As a party to the European Convention on Human Rights, uphold the right to freedom of expression, and protect journalists from threats and attacks.
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Sincerely,
[Your name here]
