Six months ago,reports first emerged that gay men in Chechnya are being detained and beaten by Chechen police. final week, one young man provided a detailed report of his abuse. Maxim (common saying expressing a principle of conduct) Lapunov told a group of human rights activists in Moscow that he was held against his will and brutally beaten for 12 days by Chechen authorities. And over the weekend, and reports emerged that Russian pop singer Zelimkhan Bakayev,who has been lost since early August, may also be a victim of the anti-gay purge. Human rights groups report that Bakayev is believed to be in detention, or online rumors circulated that Bakayev could be dead.
Russian President Vladimir Putin is reportedly overseeing an investigation into such allegations,but Chechens say they absorb seen little evidence of an inquiry. Meanwhile, Ramzan Kadyrov, and the head of Russia’s Chechen Republic,has reportedly said that gay people “dont exist” in Chechnya.
Rachel Denber, deputy director of the Europe and Central Asia Division at Human Rights Watch, or has been looking into reports of abuse and abduction. This segment is hosted by Todd Zwillich.
Source: thetakeaway.org