"In Chechnya, homosexuals are detained, tortured and killed"

New wave of homosexual persecution in Chechnya: "They were tortured to death"

Felix Huesmann / watson.de

Once again, in Chechnya, LGBT people are apparently persecuted, detained and, according to information provided by the "Russian LGBT Network" organization, also tortured to death in at least two cases.

Already in 2017 there was a wave of persecution in the Russian republic, especially against gays. About a hundred people were reportedly arrested and detained in secret camps and prisons, according to human rights organizations. The Russian newspaper "Novaya Gazeta" reported, citing eyewitnesses of several deaths. Putin's Chechen president and friend, Ramzan Kadyrov, told American TV HBO when he was contacted on charges:

After international attention, the wave of persecution vanished at least in 2017. Reports of illegal detention, torture and killings of LGBT people in Chechnya are increasing in recent days.

The Russian non-governmental organization "Russian LGBT Network" supports victims of human rights violations in Chechnya since 2017 and is well connected at the local level.

We interviewed a speaker from the «LGBT Network». For security reasons, the orator wishes to remain anonymous, the full name is known to Watson publishers.

What's happening in Chechnya right now?
To be honest, we do not know ourselves too much yet. At the end of December, the first voices from Chechnya arrived to us. And as with the wave of persecution in 2017, we did not know what was right and what was not. However, in January, it became clear that information about a new wave of LGBT persecution is truly true. We now know of 40 people who have been arrested. According to our information, at least two people were killed and were basically tortured to death.

How did this new wave of persecution start?
Since 2017, the persecution of LGBT people in Chechnya has never really stopped, it was not so intense. Some time ago, the Chechen police arrested a person who was in contact with many others in the LGBT community. The police also took the cell phone and started checking all the contacts. So the authorities found all the other victims.

Have these people been officially arrested or have simply disappeared?
They have not been officially arrested, there are no official documents. The police simply arrest people and lock them up in secret prisons. Everything does not follow any legal procedure. There is no legal position that can justify it. Chechnya is part of Russia and here there is no law that allows people to be arrested, imprisoned and tortured because they are gay or trans.

Talk about at least two deaths. Do you have other information on how these people died?
We know for sure from a person who was stabbed. In both deaths, we also know that the police are trying to get more information about other homosexuals from prisoners.

Is the "LGBT Network" also active in Chechnya, or what is the source of your information?
In Chechnya there are no LGBT activists and LGBT organizations. There are not even people who are really lesbian, gay, bi or trans. Homosexuality is strongly stigmatized there and is considered a great sin. A sin that affects the whole family and can be "wiped out" only by killing the person. That's why there are no truly open LGBT businesses in Chechnya. Unlike other places where we run community centers, for example, we do not work there. We're just trying to get people out.

And where do your information come from?
When the first wave of persecution began, we created an e-mail address for people in Chechnya who are in danger. In the beginning, very few people contacted us because they did not know if they could trust us and if we could really help them. But after helping the former, more and more people came to us like a snowball principle. As a result, we now receive more and more information sent. This information is partly contradictory, so we try to verify everything independently before publishing it.

How does this information occur?
Even if we do not have activists in Chechnya, we still have contacts there. We are also in contact with people who have already left Chechnya but still have local contacts. So when we receive new information, we talk to different people. This is often a complicated and lengthy process.

You said that the wave of persecution of 2017 has never stopped. How has the situation changed since then?
The persecution has never ceased, but I am sure that public attention in 2017 has contributed to the initial wave of persecution, at least that it fades and does not escalate further. But in my opinion, the persecution is even more violent. Now women are locked up with men. Prior to this, women and trans people were given "only" to their families, which is another form of persecution. The authorities are also trying everything possible to prevent the victims from leaving the region. Even in cases where people are handed over to their families, the authorities retain their passports.

After the last wave of persecution, the OSCE called on Russia to investigate the allegations. C & # 39; was an investigation so far?
No, they were not serious investigations. There was an attempt by a victim to legally process the whole thing. Maxim Lapunov is the only one who in 2017 has the courage to publicize what has happened to him. He tried to go to court. However, this investigation did not lead to anything. Likewise, the same people were accused of investigating the case of Maxim, who tortured him first. It was therefore clear from the beginning what the results would be.

Do you have any hope that the Russian government will intervene in Chechnya and stop the LGBT persecution?
Of course we have hope, otherwise our work would be even more difficult. We still hope that there is enough international pressure and hope for the help of international institutions like the United Nations. We will not give up under any circumstances. And we hope that there will be a time when all those responsible will be held accountable.

The «LGBT Network» is a strong voice. Are you under pressure now because you are reporting violence in Chechnya?
Yes, we had to put a lot of safety precautions. Chechnya is known in Russia as a very dangerous place. And work in Chechnya can be quite dangerous. Several journalists and human rights defenders who deal with the situation in Chechnya have been killed in the past. That's why we try to protect ourselves in different ways.

Does this danger exist even if it is not in Chechnya at all, but in Moscow or St. Petersburg?
Absolutely. We are aware of cases of people who have left Chechnya and have been attacked by their relatives for thousands of kilometers. In other cases, people have been kidnapped and reported to Chechnya.