Ramzan Kadyrov, the leader of Chechnya, has declared that gays are ‘devils’ and should depart his country immediately.

In an interview with HBO’s Real Sports about wrestling in his country, the Chechen leader was questioned about the gay purge which has recently resumed in Chechnya according to reports earlier this month.

“Why does he come here? What’s the point of these questions,” Kadyrov asked, livid with reporter David Scott’s line of questioning.

“This is nonsense.”

Dehumanised

The leader once again denied that any gay people exist in Chechnya, before suggesting that if they did exist, they should be brought to Canada.

“We don’t have those kinds of people here… If there are there take them to Canada. Praise be to God. Take them far from us so we don’t have them at home.

“To purify our blood, if there are any here, take them.”

We will put the whole world on its knees and screw it from behind

“They are devils,” Kadyrov said in response to continued questioning from Scott about the ongoing reports of a gay purge.

“They are for sale. They are not people,” he added.

Concern for the safety of gay people in Chechnya has been rising following the report from Novaya Gazeta earlier this year detailing the detention, torture, and murder of gay men in a state-sanctioned purge.

2. Kadyrov says if there are any gay people in Chechnya they should be removed in order to purify the blood of the Chechen people. pic.twitter.com/oTshkbFGLO

— Yashar Ali 🐘 (@yashar) July 14, 2017

Many countries – including Ireland – called on Russia to investigate the allegations that had been made against Chechnya. However, Novaya Gazeta reported that such investigations were losing steam.

Going Nuclear

The threat posed by a leader such as Kadyrov to the Western world is significant.

With international pressure mounting against Chechnya in light of the horrifying allegations, which include the murder of at least 27 men, Kadyrov illustrated just how volatile he could be as an enemy.

“[The US] know that I’m ready to give my life for Russia, and that I have a good army”.

“Even if our government was completely destroyed, our nuclear missiles would be automatically deployed,” he declared.

“We will put the whole world on its knees and screw it from behind.”

3. In an interview with @RealSportsHBO one of Putin's biggest allies says "we will put the world on its knees and screw it from behind." pic.twitter.com/nYpu78nDDy

— Yashar Ali 🐘 (@yashar) July 14, 2017

Although Kadyrov is currently an ally of Russian leader Vladimir Putin, it has been reported that Putin is growing tired of the attention Chechnya’s gay purge is drawing.

Protestors in Moscow were arrested before they could deliver a petition to the prosecutor general’s office which sought justice for the Chechnya 100 as the victims of this purge have been dubbed.