‘We cannot turn a blind eye’ harrowing report details gay torture in Chechnya purge

A top LGBT+ rights organisation is demanding in an investigation into the Chechen Republic after three reported killings and more than 114 LGBT+ people and their families have been confirmed in a report.

ILGA (The International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Intersex Association) have produced a harrowing document looking into what happened when gay men in the Russian Republic were tortured and detained because of their sexuality.

At least 12 women, two of whom were trans, were also detained by Chechen authorities last year, states the report.

Justice has been demanded by several human rights organisations

According to the study, Magomed Daudov, Speaker of the Chechen Parliament, oversaw some of the tortures in person.

Not only is the report (on which the final PACE resolution is based) the first of its kind from an international institution, it’s a critical reminder for the world that the repression of the LGBTI communities in Chechnya is not over.” said Evelyne Paradis, ILGA-Europe Executive Director.

“A full independent investigation, carried out without delay – that is what is still urgently needed. And this report is unequivocal: if the Russian authorities do not act, then the international community must conduct such an investigation. We commend Piet de Bruyn on his dedication and for bringing the voices of LGBTI people in Chechnya back into the spotlight.”

Although the one victim who has spoken out about his ordeal, Maxim Lapunov, fled to Russia for safety, he has since left the country due to the ever-increasing hostility against LGBT+ people in the country.

“In a poll published at the beginning of 2018, the Levada Center, a Russian polling agency, found that  “83 percent of Russians thought gay sex was “always reprehensible” or “almost always reprehensible,” the report reads.

Berliner protesting the gay purge in Chechnya (John MACDOUGALL (Photo credit should read JOHN MACDOUGALL/AFP/Getty Images)

In his ordeal, he spent two weeks being tortured in the basement by Chechen authorities, who read his phone and demanded confessions of other gay people he knew.