At least two people have died and forty more have been detained by the government in the Russian state of Chechnya, where LGBT activists allege a new ‘gay purge’ took place on Monday.
The new allegations come not even two years after the last alleged gay purge in Chechnya; in 2017, more than 100 gay men were allegedly arrested and subjected to torture.
An unknown number died then, too. Of course it’s difficult to figure out real numbers because the Russian government has denied these events even happened in the first place!
Related: Russian Pop Star Reportedly Among Dead From Previous LGBT Purge
As far as today’s purge is concerned, the Associated Press spoke to several alleged victims, all of whom spoke of torture at the hands of Chechen law enforcement officers. Just as they did two years ago, though, government officials have denied the accusations.
Igor Kochetkov, the program director for the progressive Russian LGBT Network, told the AP (below):
“Widespread detentions, torture and killings of gay people have resumed in Chechnya. Persecution of men and women suspected of being gay never stopped. It’s only that its scale has been changing.”
Ugh. Absolutely awful and disheartening.
According to Kochetkov, today’s purge came about after an intelligence victory by Russian authorities last month; anti-gay government officials apparently detained the leader of a popular LGBT social media group back in December, and they’ve been using the contacts in his phone to determine who to attack. So scary!
Marie Struthers, the director Amnesty International‘s Eastern Europe division, summed it up well, unfortunately (below):
“News that the authorities have resumed the crackdown is spine-chilling. With lives in jeopardy, there is an urgent need for an international response to protect gay and lesbian people in Chechnya.”
Amen!
It’s 2019 — this should have been stopped a LONG time ago, and it obviously CANNOT continue!!
[Image via WENN.]
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