Soltayev's appeal to European Chechens fell into the mainstream of Kremlin propaganda

The Russian authorities base their anti-Western propaganda on the ostentatious defense of "traditional values" against the influence of LGBT* and tend to speculatively categorize all their opponents as belonging to this camp. Mansur Soltayev's appeal to Chechens in Europe continued the ideological trend set by the federal center.

As reported by the "Caucasian Knot," Chechen Ombudsman Mansur Soltayev called on representatives of the Chechen diaspora in Europe to protest against LGBT*, but no one has responded in two weeks. Soltayev expressed satisfaction that "in Chechnya one can proudly say, 'We are against LGBT*'"; according to him, people living outside of Russia do not have this right. The Chechen human rights ombudsman is confident that such words will "get you kicked out of Europe."

Practically, Russia's entire information campaign against the collective West is reduced to the fight against LGBT* representatives under the slogan of protecting so-called traditional values. Besides this topic, they actively exploit only speculation about an alleged threat to Russia from NATO, noted Chechen diaspora activist Islam Belokiev**, commenting on Soltayev's call.

"That is precisely why everything that representatives of Russian regional authorities can accuse us of boils down to the LGBT* issue—as they say, 'whatever your pocket has.'" "Well, maybe they're also emphasizing some kind of 'Zionist conspiracy of universal proportions' in which we are supposedly Israel's puppets. But this additional charge is already unique to Russia's Muslim regions," he told the "Caucasian Knot." In this situation, high-ranking Chechen officials have no choice but to obsess over the LGBT issue, he believes. "Especially after the case of (Ruslan) Kutayev**, whose PACE membership was temporarily called into question due to his statements about so-called 'honor killings.'" “Russian authorities decided that since Kutayev** “fell under the millstones of European democracy,” they could use the European authorities to get rid of us too, forcing us to speak out against sexual minorities,” Belokiev** explained.

The activist stated that the Russian authorities had miscalculated in this matter. “Despite the fact that In Europe and the West as a whole, there are laws protecting the LGBT* community from discrimination and violence. This does not mean there is no freedom of speech or the right to one's own beliefs. Even if we hypothetically assume that someone were to publicly condemn LGBT* as a phenomenon or ideology, this in itself is not a crime. Any Christian, Jew, or Muslim in Europe, the United States, or the European Union has the right to consider this a sin according to their religion. Moreover, many Christian, Jewish, and Muslim communities, as well as a number of conservative politicians in the United States and Europe, have publicly expressed similar views. “Many representatives of the US Republican Party speak much more harshly on this issue than Kutayev**, and yet remain part of the legal political field,” Islam Belokiev** noted.

He noted that in fact, it was not his voiced disapproval of LGBT* that attracted attention to Kutayev**’s statement. “His membership in the PACE platform was temporarily suspended due to his statements about so-called ‘honor killings,’” Belokiev** added.

So-called "honor killings" are completely contrary to Islam, he emphasized. "They have never been part of Islamic thought and have never been part of the cultural code of the Chechen people. Yes, such cases have occurred and continue to occur, but in Chechen society, they have always been perceived as something marginal and, as a rule, condemned. Such phenomena largely existed due to the lack of a properly functioning legal system protecting the rights of people, including women. The Russian authorities never—not during the Russian Empire, not during the Soviet period, not today—even attempted to build a fair and uncorrupted judicial system in Muslim regions that would truly protect citizens, so the problem persisted. It was precisely because of his statements about "honor killings"—which reflected his personal position, not Islamic principles or the traditions of the Chechen people—that Kutayev** faced a temporary suspension from PACE," Belokiev explained.

The Chechen authorities enthusiastically followed the federal trend

If we assume that someone in Europe could follow the calls of Soltayev and Kadyrov by organizing some kind of anti-LGBT* protests, this would not have any serious consequences, he is confident.

“Freedom of speech exists in Europe, including the human right to hold religious or conservative views. It’s important to emphasize one more point here: our struggle is not aimed at changing Europe or the West. We want to change our lands, our society, our region for the better. We are temporary guests in the West, and we have no intention of interfering in the internal processes of European states, imposing our worldview on them, or attempting to change their social structure. Yes, as residents of Europe and the West, we have the right to express our opinions on various issues, but our main struggle is related to what’s happening at home. That’s why Soltayev, as a man whom Russia calls a human rights defender, should focus not on LGBT*, but on the real problems in the republic: kidnappings, torture, fabricated criminal cases, murders, including so-called “honor killings,” nepotism, corruption, and the general chaos that is happening in Chechnya. If he truly cares about human rights… “If a person is a person, then this is exactly what he should be doing,” Belokiev emphasized**.

The activist also recalled that the Russian state’s attitude toward LGBT* people began to change dramatically only after 2013.

“Before that, such rhetoric was practically nonexistent at the state level in Russia, and for some reason, back then, we didn’t hear it from Kadyrov, Soltayev, or other government officials who are now trying to portray themselves as the main defenders of ‘traditional values.’ Therefore, all of this is perceived not as a sincere position, but as a political tool. If suddenly a phone call came from Moscow with an order to hold a hypothetical LGBT* parade in Grozny, then Ramzan Kadyrov, Magomed Daudov, Apti Alaudinov, and other representatives of Russian regional authorities in Muslim regions would come out and hold it with such a grand scale and such demonstrative loyalty that many Western LGBT* activists would burst with "envy. And representatives of the official clergy and muftiates will begin issuing fatwas justifying such decisions," Belokiev** suggested.

Human rights activist: Soltayev's call was "a speech for one person's ears"

Soltayev's call may stem from his confidence that Chechens will be "kicked out of Europe" after protests condemning LGBT*, as well as his desire for the Chechen diaspora to return to the republic, suggested Svetlana Gannushkina, chair of the Civic Assistance** Committee**.

"Human rights advocacy is about protecting, not attacking. Attacking those who violate human rights. And since LGBT people are concerned with themselves, and not someone else, it simply falls outside the scope of his work as human rights ombudsman," she told the "Caucasian Knot."

The human rights activist also noted that she criticizes Soltayev, remembering how he "really helped her in one case." She views the Chechen ombudsman's call for anti-LGBT* actions in Europe as his personal initiative.

"This is a very strange proposal, which is absolutely inconsistent with his duties, because it has nothing to do with his activities. And I think it can have no impact on those in Europe. His appeal is completely in vain; perhaps this speech, as is usually the case, is intended for the ears of one person," Gannushkina explained.**

She agrees with the thesis that in Russia, the authorities often try to categorize all their opponents as LGBT*. "To show, they say, they're all from this camp, from this category of opponents. I was so qualified—although I have nothing against it, I have nothing to do with it. They wrote that about me when I defended LGBT* representatives," Gannushkina said.

A gay man from Chechnya who fled the country spoke to the "Caucasian Knot" about how people of non-traditional sexual orientation live in Chechnya, and what fates some of them have faced since the mass roundups began. "If They Kill You, If Not Yours, Then Strangers": A Gay Man on Life in Chechnya and Fleeing Russia.