Contents tagged with LGBT

  • Russian Ministry of Justice: The International Criminal Court decision on homosexuals in Chechnya will not affect Russia

    The possible decision of the International Criminal Court or ICC on the lawsuit brought by LGBT associations against the head of Chechnya, Ramzan Kadyrov will not have legal consequences for Russia. This was stated by the head of the Ministry of Justice of the Russian Federation, Alexander Konovalov, Interfax reports.

    "What the court will decide is difficult for me to foresee but it should not have legal consequences for Russia," he said at a briefing in St. Petersburg.

    Earlier, three French …

  • Lithuania grants asylum to two Chechen homosexuals

    Two gays have moved from Chechnya to Lithuania after being persecuted for their sexual orientation.

    This was announced by Linas Linkevičius, head of the Lithuanian Foreign Ministry, as reported by the BNS news outlet.

    He did not provide details, noting only that Lithuania is one of the first EU states to receive gays who have been subject to persecution in Chechnya. He added that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is “coordinating actions with allies in the west”.

    “We are gradually raising …

  • Five EU countries call on Moscow to protect homosexuals in Chechnya

    Germany and four other EU countries called on Moscow to protect the LGBT community in Chechnya. In a letter addressed to Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, German Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel and his colleagues from France, Great Britain, the Netherlands and Sweden expressed deep concern over the reports of international organizations about the situation in the Caucasian republic, AFP agency reported on Wednesday.

    "We urge the Russian government to investigate horrendous accusations …

  • In meeting with Putin, Merkel called for Ukraine to be given back control over its borders

    German Chancellor Angela Merkel held a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday, May 2. As planned earlier, the meeting in Sochi took place before the G20 summit on May 7-8.

    During the press conference at the conclusion of the meeting, the politicians spoke about matters pertaining to bilateral relations, the fight against terrorism, as well as the situation in Syria and in Eastern Ukraine.

    Angela Merkel said that there is no need to make a new agreement regarding a peaceful …

  • UN calls for investigation to be opened into treatment of homosexuals in Chechnya

    The United Nations has requested a full investigation surrounding the LGBT community in Chechnya, as stated by the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Zeid al-Hussein, at a briefing in Geneva. According to him, the UN continues to monitor this situation.

    In April, Novaya Gazeta published material detailing a campaign in Chechnya, during which hundreds of homosexual men were abducted. Journalists claimed that the victims were tortured and forced to disclose information about other gays whom …

  • At meeting with Putin, Kadyrov denied reports of murders of homosexuals in Chechnya

    At a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin, Head of the Chechen Republic Ramzan Kadyrov denied Russian media reports about the detention and killing of residents of the Republic suspected of homosexuality.

    "I want to report to you that those provocative articles regarding the Chechen Republic, about the events that we are having; allegedly there are detentions, gentlemen – ‘good people’ write that we have detentions in the republic. Even talking about it is uncomfortable. Allegedly, …

  • U.S. Permanent Representative to U.N. demands that investigation be opened into detention of homosexuals in Chechnya

    The U.S. Ambassador to the U.N., Nikki Haley, stated that is was an "impossibility to ignore" the reports about the abductions, torture, and killings of people in Chechnya on the basis of their sexual orientation. Her statement was published on the website of the U.S. Mission to the United Nations.

    The diplomat also noted that the U.S. "is still concerned" about this information. "Chechen authorities must immediately investigate these allegations and hold everyone involved accountable," Haley …

  • Three European countries have accelerated the procedure for issuing visas to homosexuals from Russia’s republic Chechnya

    The embassies of three European states have decided to expedite the issuance of visas to the residents of Chechnya that the Republic's authorities are persecuting because of their homosexuality, as reported by Meduza news outlet citing the head of the council of the "Russian LGBT Network", Tatiana Vinnichenko. She did not specify which countries are involved, fearing that representatives from Chechen diasporas could threaten the asylum seekers.

    In addition, Vinnichenko said that two meetings …

  • Media: Over a hundred homosexual men detained in Russia’s Republic of Chechnya

    More than a hundred men suspected of homosexuality were detained in Chechnya in recent weeks. Some of them have been killed, reports Novaya Gazeta.

    Among the detainees are representatives of the Chechen muftiate, including prominent, influential and religious leaders close to the head of the republic, as well as two well-known Chechen TV personalities.

    According to the publication, the information is confirmed by "an unprecedentedly large number of sources," including local LGBT activists, as …