Chechen police chief distances himself from gay persecution after British journalist's coming out

After the coming out of James Longman, a reporter of the "ABC Chanel", who visited the Chechen republic, Chechen police chief Apti Alaudinov has assured him that in Chechnya, gays are not afraid of persecution by the authorities, but of their relatives' reaction to their sexual orientation.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that by October 18, volunteers of the "Russian LGBT Network" helped 158 people from Chechnya who addressed them for assistance to leave the republic.

A report on gay persecution in Chechnya was featured in the "Nightline" programme on the US "ABC Channel". British reporter James Longman, one of the authors of the report, visited a prison, where, according to the journalists' information, warders could torture people detained on suspicion of homosexuality. James Longman came out to Chechen police chief Apti Alaudinov, who was accompanying the TV Channel crew, the "Dozhd" (Rain) TV Channel reports.

"You came here to visit us as a guest. It's your life, and you may live as you like. But do not teach us how we should live, and that's all," Apti Alaudinov told James Longman.

The reporter has explained that, according to gays from Chechnya, they are afraid of staying in their own country. Apti Alaudinov has objected that "they are afraid to come out in their environment." "For Chechen people, this is a very terrible shame," said the Deputy Minister of the Chechen Ministry of Internal Affairs (MIA).

Let us remind you that in Chechnya, the first raid against LGBT people lasted from December 2016 to February 2017, and at least three waves of detentions are known, states the report prepared by the "Russian LGBT Network" and Elena Milashina, a special correspondent of the newspaper "Novaya Gazeta".