On April 3, a press conference “Persecution of LGBT in Chechnya. A year after” took place in Moscow. At the press conference, the co-founder of the Russian LGBT Network Igor Kochetkov and Novaya Gazeta’s special correspondent Elena Milashina explained what happened during the year passed, and shared the results of the conducted pre-investigation check.
On April 3, 2018 (11 am), a press conference devoted to the persecution of LGBT people in Chechnya will take place at the press center of news agency Rosbalt (Moscow, Skaterny pereulok 4/2, building 1). A year passed since the moment when the world learned about the unprecedented kidnappings, tortures and murders of LGBT people in Chechnya, but the Russian authorities still do not do anything to stop persecutions or punish perpetrators.
The Russian Federation has provided the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) with answers to questions and comments regarding the attack on Dmitry Chizhevsky, which occurred on November 3rd, 2013. In its response, the Russian Federation requested the ECHR to not trust data on the LGBT discrimination in Russia, as it was provided by third parties (including the Russian LGBT Network), and reports that the preliminary investigation is still pending, while statistics on hate crimes against the LGBT community “will be evidence of violation of discrimination laws for a very obvious and justified reason”.
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.
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. We demand that the inquiry is resumed by the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation and that the investigation of the crimes against humanity, whose survivors were the citizens of the Russian Federation based on their sexual orientation and gender identity, is thorough.
The Russian LGBT Network confirms that Pavel Stotsko and Evgeny Voytsekhovsky had to leave the Russian Federation because of the pressure and unlawful actions of the Russian law enforcement agencies. Pavel and Evgeniy did not expect such an outcome, and it was real threat to their freedom and security that forced them to leave.
