Homosexuality in Chechnya

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Homosexuality is taboo in Chechnya , people with a non-heterosexual orientation must expect violence from their social environment as well as from government agencies. According to local law, homosexual acts are criminal in Chechnya . In March 2017, the persecution increased significantly, leading to a wave of arrests, the establishment of prisons for homosexual men , torture and deaths and, in response, international protests against these events. Germany, Lithuania, Canada and the Netherlands have granted the persecuted asylum since 2017 .

Legal status

In Chechnya as part of the Russian Federation , the statutory regulations on homosexuality in Russia apply first , in particular the criminal liability of so-called "homo propaganda" - positive representation of or statements about homosexuality in public or in the presence of minors.

Historically, the region had followed the legal development since the conquest by Russia in the 19th century: If homosexuality became illegal when it was incorporated into the Russian Empire, criminal liability was then initially lifted in the Soviet Union, then reintroduced under Josef Stalin. In 1993 the criminality was lifted all over Russia. During the unrecognized independence of the Chechen Republic of Ichkeria , President Aslan Maskhadov introduced Sharia law in 1996 . For anal intercourse - between two men or for those before and outside of marriage between a man and a woman - this provided punishment for lashing the first two offenses and execution for the third. After the reconquest by Russia in the Second Chechnya War , the Russian legal system was restored, but extensive autonomy remained under President Akhmat Kadyrov and his son and successor Ramzan Kadyrov . The legal system remained based on a strict interpretation of Islam in order to accommodate the Islamism of the separatist movement and thus weaken its political and social influence.

Social situation

Homosexuality is socially taboo in Chechnya and is understood as an abnormality, which is supported by a widespread strict interpretation of Islam. Those affected can also expect violence from their own families, as their orientation is seen as a shame for the whole family. So it comes to so-called honor killings of homosexuals. The men have a wife and children and keep their sexual orientation a secret. In the event of police attacks on homosexuals, they and their families usually remain silent in order not to expose themselves to social ostracism or further violence.

There is no organization or community of homosexual people in Chechnya. Only small groups communicate with one another in secret or via social networks.

State persecution of homosexuals

Under President Ramzan Kadyrov, homosexuals were persecuted by the security authorities. Men are regularly kidnapped, beaten and blackmailed with their sexual orientation. Money or the disclosure of another possible victim is required.

At the end of March and April 2017, the authorities of the autonomous Chechen Republic increased the persecution of homosexuals: more than 100 men were arrested in a short time and taken to two prisons . At least three of the men died in the arrests and in custody. Among those arrested are religious dignitaries and two well-known television presenters. The homosexual men between the ages of 16 and 50 are said to have been identified through social networks or by extorting data from individual acquaintances. However, heterosexual men are also said to have been arrested on charges of homosexuality. In the prisons, usually a facility near the city of Argun and the village of Tsotsi-Yurt, those arrested are said to be subjected to severe physical and psychological torture. They are said to have been electrocuted or beaten to death. Contact details of other alleged homosexuals were blackmailed or taken from the cell phones they were carrying. The acquaintances identified in this way were then also abducted, since it is assumed that they have the same sexual orientation.

Some of those arrested were released or seriously injured and handed over to their families. The security authorities are said to have asked the family to kill the man who was handed over. Other families had to pay ransom. Homosexuals who have not yet been arrested have deleted their data on social networks for fear of arrest and have fled the country. From April 3, the Russian LGBT network helped those affected to escape, five are said to have fled in the first days of this program. Dozens of those affected are said to have contacted aid organizations by mid-April in order to flee the region. An escape worker in Russia estimates that several hundred men are affected.

After some of those arrested were able to flee, the Novaya Gazeta first reported on the wave of persecution and referred to the testimony of those who had fled. The Chechen government responded to coverage of the arrests and international criticism of the events on April 2, 2017 by claiming that the reports were all false and that there were no homosexuals in Chechnya who could be persecuted. Should there be “such people”, “their relatives would send them to a place from which they will not return”. Other state officials said homosexuality is worse than war and homosexuals need to be neutralized. The reports are part of a smear campaign against Chechnya. The country's highest imams also criticized the reports, calling them a lie. In the following, Chechen politicians and theologians called for violence against the Novaya Gazeta journalists. Dmitry Peskov , spokesman for the Russian President, said a few days after the incident became known that the government was unaware and that those affected should contact the local authorities. The issue is not on the Kremlin's agenda. Russian authorities assigned responsibility to the Chechen authorities.

The cause of the wave of persecution was initially suspected that several Gay Pride Parades were registered in Russia during this time , which the Chechen state wanted to forestall. However, no such demonstration was planned directly in Chechnya. In other Russian republics in the region, the registration of the parades, which were soon banned, triggered homophobic counter-demonstrations.

Just as the so-called " honor killings " are officially approved by the Chechen government, members of the LGBT community are still not only considered outlawed by the state - the Chechen people are practically urged to kill these people or otherwise remain silent while the government continues to deny the existence of special prisons as well as the practice of torture and enforced disappearances: “You cannot arrest or suppress someone who does not exist in the republic, if such people existed in Chechnya, the security authorities would not have to worry about them because their relatives would send them to a place they would not return from themselves. "

State persecution of homosexuals reportedly continued in 2018 and 2019. The arrested people's passports are now being confiscated to prevent them from escaping.

International reactions

After initial reports of the persecution were published in late March, Human Rights Watch issued a statement on April 4, 2017 calling on Russian authorities to intervene. On the same day, Amnesty International reported on the events and issued an Urgent Action calling for protests to be made to the Russian authorities and for action to be taken against the persecution.

On April 7, 2017, Gernot Erler, coordinator for cooperation with Russia on behalf of the German Foreign Office, expressed concern about the reports on the events in Chechnya and called on the Russian authorities to distance themselves from homophobic statements and to end the persecution and the To prosecute perpetrators and remind them of Russia's international obligations. The French Foreign Ministry issued a similar statement on April 12th. On April 13, 2017, the UN Human Rights Council issued a statement condemning the incidents in Chechnya and calling on the Russian and local authorities to stop the arrest and torture immediately, to release those arrested and to investigate the events that perpetrated the perpetrators To hold accountable and to compensate the victims. In addition, the homophobic statements made by government agencies are condemned and they are called upon to distance themselves from statements that promote or encourage violence against people because of their sexual orientation. On the same day, a similar appeal was made by the Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights of the OSCE .

At the beginning of June 2017, Germany and Lithuania opened their asylum and residence rights for Chechens who were persecuted for their sexual orientation. In both countries, they were given refuge as tolerated refugees , immediately followed by a permanent residence permit for humanitarian reasons (see also: Asylum and refugee status in German asylum law ). Canada has also been allowing gay and lesbian Chechens into the country since spring 2017. By June 2017, 22 persecuted people had found their way onto safe Canadian soil. However, this was only made public in September 2017 by the Toronto-based non-profit organization Rainbow Railroad, with which the government worked together for this purpose. In August 2017, the Dutch government followed suit with a change in the law, which almost automatically grants asylum to members of the LGBT community in Chechnya.

literature

  • Florian Hassel, Silke Bigalke: Republic of Fear. In: Tages-Anzeiger from January 17, 2019.

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. Breaking the Silence: Human Rights Violations Based on Sexual Orientation . Amnesty International, 1997, ISBN 1873328125 , p. 34.
  2. a b c d e Samuel Osborne: Gay men being tortured and murdered in Chechen prisons, claim detainees. The Independent, April 6, 2017, accessed April 14, 2017 .
  3. a b c Sewell Chan: UN Experts Condemn Killing and Torture of Gay Men in Chechnya. New York Times, April 13, 2017, accessed April 14, 2017 .
  4. a b c d e f Ekaterina Sokirianskaia: Hunting homosexuals in Chechnya. SRF, April 4, 2017, accessed April 14, 2017 .
  5. ^ Lydia Smith: 'People are being tortured and killed': Chechnya's deadly anti-LGBT crisis. International Business Times, April 12, 2017, accessed April 14, 2017 .
  6. Dmitry Savelau: Gay men in Chechnya are some of the most disempowered people in the world today . In: The Independent . April 12, 2017 ( independent.co.uk [accessed October 4, 2017]).
  7. a b c Shaun Walker: Chechens tell of prison beatings and electric shocks in anti-gay purge: 'They called us animals'. The Guardian, April 13, 2017, accessed April 14, 2017 .
  8. a b c Eva Steinlein (interviewee): Chechnya: Hundreds of men abducted for homosexuality. Süddeutsche Zeitung, April 2, 2017, accessed on April 14, 2017 .
  9. ^ "Radio Liberty" reports about the secret gay prison in Chechen village of Tsotsi-Yurt . In: Caucasian Knot . ( kavkaz-uzel.eu [accessed April 16, 2017]).
  10. ^ Five persons leave Chechnya under the program of "Russian LGBT-network" . In: Caucasian Knot . ( kavkaz-uzel.eu [accessed April 16, 2017]).
  11. In Chechnya, religious figures condemn publications about persecution of gays . In: Caucasian Knot . ( kavkaz-uzel.eu [accessed April 16, 2017]).
  12. ^ Editors of "Novaya Gazeta" report receiving threats for publications about persecution of Chechen gays . In: Caucasian Knot . ( kavkaz-uzel.eu [accessed April 16, 2017]).
  13. Russians should stop violence against homosexuals in Chechnya. Spiegel-Online, April 14, 2017, accessed April 14, 2017 .
  14. Diana Markosian: Chechen women in mortal fear as president backs Islamic honor killings. In: The Washington Times of April 29, 2012. ( English )
  15. ~ Spokesman for the head of the republic Ramzan Kadyrov –– Chechnya: One hundred men abducted for homosexuality In: sueddeutsche.de of April 2, 2017. Retrieved on April 2, 2017.
  16. Florian Hassel, Silke Bigalke: Republic of fear. January 17, 2019, accessed January 17, 2019 .
  17. Tanya Lokshina: Anti-LGBT Violence in Chechnya. April 4, 2017, accessed April 14, 2017 .
  18. LGBTI kidnapped and killed. Amnesty International , April 4, 2017, accessed April 14, 2017 .
  19. Erler worried about reports of persecution of homosexuals in Russia. Foreign Office of the Federal Republic of Germany, April 7, 2017, accessed on April 14, 2017 .
  20. ^ France demands from Russia to protect rights of sexual minorities in Chechnya . In: Caucasian Knot . ( kavkaz-uzel.eu [accessed April 16, 2017]).
  21. End abuse and detention of gay men in Chechnya, UN human rights experts tell Russia. UN Human Rights Council , April 13, 2017, accessed April 14, 2017 .
  22. ODIHR Director calls on Russian authorities to urgently investigate reports of shocking human rights violations against gay men in Chechnya | OSCE. Retrieved April 16, 2017 .
  23. David Shimer: Gay Chechens, Attacked at Home, Find Doors Opening in Europe . June 9, 2017. Retrieved November 18, 2017.
  24. Catherine Porter: Chechnya's Persecuted Gays Find Refuge in Canada . September 3, 2017. Retrieved November 18, 2017.
  25. Gay Chechens face easier asylum claims in the Netherlands - DutchNews.nl . August 31, 2017. Retrieved November 18, 2017.
  26. Sneller verblijfsvergunning Tsjetsjeense homo’s . Retrieved November 18, 2017.