Mikhail Fedotov takes part in opening of travelling exhibition "The Wall of Sorrow" in Chechnya

On May 10, in Grozny, the mobile exhibition "The Wall of Sorrow" was opened, dedicated to the memorial to victims of the political repressions. The opening ceremony of the exhibition was attended by Mikhail Fedotov, Chairman of the Human Rights Council under the Russian President. At the meeting with Ramzan Kadyrov, Mikhail Fedotov has raised the issue of harassment of gays.

In Moscow, the memorial "The Wall of Sorrow" will be installed on October 30, 2017, on the Day of Remembrance of the Victims of Political Repression. The concept of the project was developed by the Human Rights Council in cooperation with the International Society "Memorial".

According to Ramzan Kadyrov, Mikhail Fedotov specially timed his visit to the Day of Remembrance and Grief of the Chechen People, which was celebrated in Chechnya on May 10. "Mikhail Aleksandrovich has noted that the Chechen people are one of the huge collective victims," wrote the Chechen leader on his page in Instagram on May 10.

Ramzan Kadyrov has noted that at the meeting with Mikhail Fedotov, "a whole series of issues was discussed for the further expansion of cooperation and interaction in problems covered by the Human Rights Council."

The number of the topics of the conversation between Mikhail Fedotov and Ramzan Kadyrov also included the publications of the newspaper "Novaya Gazeta" about harassment of members of the community of non-traditional sexual orientation in Chechnya.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that on April 1, the newspaper "Novaya Gazeta" reported about mass detentions in Chechnya of men suspected of unconventional sexual orientation. Later, the newspaper "Novaya Gazeta" reported with reference to gays persecuted in Chechnya that in Argun, a "secret prison" had been arranged for people with unconventional sexual orientation. According to the "Radio Liberty", another similar prison, where members of sexual minorities are beaten and humiliated, is located in the Chechen village of Tsotsi-Yurt.

"We have discussed the fate of the publications in the 'Novaya Gazeta' about harassment of members of the LGBT community in the republic, and the Chechen leader has assured that he is ready to facilitate the investigation into the facts described in those publications in order to clarify the situation as much as possible," said Mikhail Fedotov.

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