The Russian authorities must redouble their efforts to find and punish those responsible for the crimes against LGBTI people committed in the Chechen Republic, and to compensate the victims of these crimes. This is stated in the resolution of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) “Combating the growing hatred of LGBTI people in Europe”, which was adopted on Tuesday, January 25, in Strasbourg.
It was prepared by the speaker from the PACE committee on equality and non-discrimination, the Belgian deputy from the group of socialists Furat Ben Shikh. The text of the document indicates that in recent years there has been an increase in hate speech, violence and hate crimes against LGBTI people in Europe. Separately, the resolution mentions that “large-scale and often violent attacks on the rights of LGBTI people in recent years have occurred, among other countries, in Hungary, Poland, Russia, Turkey and the United Kingdom.”
But only recommendations for the Russian authorities are singled out in a separate paragraph of the resolution. At the same time, the report accompanying the resolution notes that over the past decades, “nowhere in Europe has there been more horrific violence against LGBTI people than in the state-sponsored attacks on LGBTI people in Chechnya that took place in 2017.”
Put pressure on authorities and provide shelter to victims
“Taking into account the egregious human rights violations committed against LGBTI people in the Chechen Republic, which the assembly has already condemned in its resolution of 2018, but which continue to occur today”, PACE called on the Russian Federation “to redouble its efforts to prosecute and punish individuals” who commit crimes based on sexual orientation. As well as “provide compensation to the victims” of these crimes and ensure that the actions of “those who committed such human rights violations will not go unpunished.”
The Assembly also appealed to the member states of the Council of Europe, urging them to “renew pressure” on the Russian authorities so that they ensure “justice” in cases of violations of the rights of LGBTI people. In addition, PACE asks the CE member countries to “make more efforts to provide asylum and protection” to those who were forced to leave Russia due to persecution based on “sexual orientation and gender identity.”
Novaya Gazeta first reported on the persecution of homosexuals in Chechnya in April 2017. According to the publication, local law enforcement officers detained and tortured about a hundred people on suspicion of homosexual relationships. The publication claimed that at least three detainees died as a result of extrajudicial executions. The head of the Chechen Republic, Ramzan Kadyrov, denied not only the existence of such persecution, but also the very existence of gays in Chechnya, and also stated that such people would be killed by their families.
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