ICC Called on to Investigate Anti-Gay Crackdown in Chechnya

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Steve Williams, of the social networking website care2.com, has written a piece on the reportedly inhumane treatment received by LGBT citizens in the Chechen Republic. He writes of how three French civil rights groups have filed an official complaint to the International Criminal Court in The Hague, calling on it to investigate reports of what is being dubbed as “Chechnya’s anti-gay crackdown”.

According to Williams, the complaint highlights a number of instances that reaffirm the belief that there may be genocidal activity unfolding within Chechnya towards LGBT individuals. One such example is that 100 men have allegedly been detained in camps placed throughout the Republic. Victims have spoken out, detailing the persecution they have undergone, such as beatings and electroshock torture, to force them into confessing the names of fellow LGBT people.

After initially refuting the suggestion that there was an issue, Russian authorities maintain that an investigation is in fact underway. However, international agencies have accused Russia of not taking the problem seriously, hence the complaint submission to the ICC. LGBT advocates are said to be planning to expose these alleged abuses and use international law to bring them to an end before Russia officially leaves the ICC’s jurisdiction this November.

Williams writes that, “The Hague should investigate these crimes without delay. And meanwhile, the international community must open its doors. Failure to do so could be a literal death sentence for LGBTQ Chechens.”

Numerous civil rights groups are apparently working to safely transport as many people who are at-risk out of the Republic. To date, these organizations have reportedly been successful in helping at least 40 people in fleeing Chechnya.

To read more about this story, click the following link:

http://www.care2.com/causes/the-international-criminal-court-must-act-on-chechnyas-gay-genocide.html

 

Image source: www.redcross.org

Text source: www.care2.com – 19th May 2017

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