Magomed Daudov denies accusations of gays' persecutions in Chechnya

Magomed Daudov, Speaker of the Parliament of Chechnya, has claimed his non-involvement in the persecution of members of the LGBT community.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that on May 26, the human rights organization "Human Rights Watch" (HRW) released the report "The gay raids in Chechnya in spring of 2017".

"Mercenary zealots of 'human rights' are trying to attribute to me an assault on those whom I never met at our place! I want those 'truth-seekers' to know that I never beat defenceless people," Magomed Daudov wrote on his page in Instagram on May 27.

According to the Speaker of the Parliament, he is ready for "any investigative proceedings."

The HRW's report points out that "Magomed Daudov played a key role in organizing the 'cleansing' of the republic from gays, approved by the leaders of Chechnya." According to the HRW, "three persons by their own eyes saw Magomed Daudov in Argun and Grozny."

On May 18, the "Russian LGBT Network" reported about the evacuation of 43 homosexuals from Chechnya. Igor Kochetkov, the leader of the "Russian LGBT Network", has noted that the detentions of gays in Chechnya have been stopped, but it is not still known how stable the situation is.

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