Over a hundred men suspected of being gay have been abducted, tortured and even killed in the southern Russian republic of Chechnya according to credible sources inside the country.
The Chechen government won't admit that gay men even exist in Chechnya, let alone that they ordered what the police call 'preventive mopping up' of people they deem undesirable. We urgently need your help to call out the Chechen authorities on the persecution of people who are, as they put it, of 'non-traditional orientation', and urge immediate action to ensure their safety.
According to independent daily newspaper, Novaya Gazeta, more than 100 men suspected of being gay have been abducted as part of a coordinated campaign. It claims the men have been tortured and otherwise ill-treated, and three are reported to have been killed by their captors – but there could be more.
Call on Chechen authorities to urgently investigate these reports of serious human rights violations against gay men and hold those responsible to account.
I call on you to:
Carry out prompt, effective and thorough investigations into the reports of abductions and killings of men believed to be gay in Chechnya and to ensure that anyone found guilty or complicit in such crimes will be brought to justice in accordance with the laws of the Russian Federation;
Take all necessary steps to ensure safety of any individual who may be at risk in Chechnya because of their sexual orientation and to condemn in the strongest terms possible any discriminatory comments made by officials;
Stand by your international human rights obligation to prohibit discrimination and to investigate and prosecute hate crimes, the most invidious form of discrimination.
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Sincerely,
