Russian film company Central Partnership cut gay sex and kisses and some drug related scenes from the biopic Rocketman with Elton John. They also cut the final subtitles and introduced new ones, silencing the fact that Elton John has a husband and children. The Russian LGBT Network is appalled by this act of censorship and calls to boycott the censored version.
On May 24, the representatives of Maxim Lapunov who was tortured in the Chechen prison filed a complaint to the European Court on human Rights. As it is stated in the complaint, the Russian authorities failed to protect him from tortures and unlawful detention, and violated four articles of the European Convention on Human Rights: prohibition of torture (article 3), right to liberty and security (article 5), right to respect of private and family rights (article 8), and prohibition of discrimination (article 14).
On May 17, seven unknown people broke into the apartment of the Hotline volunteer of the Russian LGBT Network. They searched an apartment, and made threats to bodily harm and to kill the volunteer. According to the perpetrators, they looked for the Emergency program coordinator David Isteev and a Chechen woman who left home. Isteev and the volunteer reported to the police.
52 Russian and International human rights organizations (including the Russian LGBT Network) signed the statement about the fact that Russia jeopardize online freedoms all over the world. The representative of Article 19 delivered the Statement at the session of the UN Human Rights Council in Genève.
On May 19th, GENDERDOC-M organized the annual march of equality in Chișinău, under the campaign Fără Frică de Iubire(Without the fear to love). However, unlike the last years’ experience, the march that included approximately 350 participants was able to reach its destination without being attacked and evacuated halfway through the route. The Ministry of Interior provided all necessary protections for the participants and despite the aggressive outbursts of the counter-protestors, the Pride march was not exposed to any violence.
A year has passed since the publication of first testimonies of LGBT people that faced persecution in Chechnya based on their sexual orientation and gender identity. However the unlawful detentions, humiliation and torture of LGBT people in Northern Caucasus persist. There are some things one can do to support the victims of the state-organized persecutions of LGBT in Chechnya.
