AI calls on to protect gays from persecution in Chechnya

The international human rights organization "Amnesty International" (AI) has demanded from the Russian authorities to investigate the information about the persecution in Chechnya of men suspected of homosexuality and protect their rights.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported about mass detentions in Chechnya of men suspected of homosexuality, the newspaper "Novaya Gazeta" reports on April 1.

The AI has called on Alexander Bastrykin, the chief of the Investigating Committee of the Russian Federation (ICRF), Sergey Sokolov, the acting head of the ICRF's Department for Chechnya, and Human Rights Commissioner Tatiana Moskalkova, to investigate the reports of harassment of men suspected of homosexuality in Chechnya.

The AI has also demanded "to take all necessary measures to ensure the safety of any person who may be at risk in Chechnya because of his or her sexual orientation and to strongly condemn any discriminatory comments made by officials," the RIA "Novosti" reports.

When commenting on a report about the "secret prison" for gays in the city of Argun, the City Mayor's Office has claimed that "the authorities do not have such information," the radio station "Govorit Moskva" reports.

Full text of the article is available on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’.