Russian activists from the LGBT Network in St Petersburg have released a statement saying they have filed a complaint with the Investigative Committee demanding they begin a criminal investigation into Chechnya’s LGBT+ purge. The executive director of the Russian activists group, Igor Kochetkov, filed the complaint.

The Russian activists website states that they made the official complaint following the latest overwhelming reports and stories of horrific human rights violations. Recent reports include the detention of 14 people in a police station under suspicion of homosexuality. Kochetkov’s statement said: “The detained were severely beaten, sexually abused, were tortured with the electric current. They were also forced to sign empty forms.” The complaint also included the details of a person who was allegedly killed by the police this month.

The amount of shocking stories emerging from Chechnya have long since reached the point where authorities must intervene. Murder, sexual assault, torture, detention, families urged to turn against their own, the Chechen Leader, Ramzan Kadyrov denying there being any LGBT+ people in Chechnya, but saying that if they did exist they would have been forced to leave the country or have been killed by their families.

Despite Putin saying there would be an investigation, nothing has been done. Intervention from international governments is long overdue. To that end, a protest outside the Russian Embassy in Dublin is organised for Monday February 4th.

Representatives from organisations within the LGBT+ community will stand in solidarity with our LGBT+ family in Chechnya.

The following statement on the protest was released by GCN and signed by organisations in support:

• We condemn the escalating violence against LGBT+ people and urge An Taoiseach, Leo Varadkar, to publicly condemn the anti-LGBT+ crackdown.
• The Irish Government must raise this issue at the highest possible level with Russian leaders and call for an immediate end to this harrowing persecution.
• The Irish government needs to live up to its international protection obligations to recognise and protect Chechen refugees who reach Ireland, as well as using its full consular influence, facilities and resources to support The Russian LGBT+ Network in its vital work in Russia and the region at this time in affording safe options to those at risk”.  
• We call for the United Nations Human Rights Council to investigate the human rights situation in the Chechen Republic

The Irish LGBT+ community will not let this matter rest or fall out of the news cycle. We will continue to stand with the LGBT+ community in Chechnya and demand that the Russian authorities put an end to the violence and bring those responsible to justice.

In Solidarity,

Amnesty Ireland
BeLonG To
Dublin Bears
Dublin Pride
Dundalk Outcomers
Free Legal Advice Centres
Gay Switchboard
GCN
International Dublin Gay Theatre Festival
Irish Council For Civil Liberties
LGBT Ireland
NUI Maynooth
NXF
Outhouse
Rainbow Project Belfast
Shout Out
This Is Me
USI

Those who wish to join the protest and stand with Chechnya’s LGBT+ community and allies are invited to attend. More information is available on the event page here.