Gay People Are Beg Murred Chechnya. Why Aren’t We Talkg About It?

Contents:

• CHECHNYA’S HORRIFIC ‘GAY PURGE’: A 4-YEAR TIMELE OF ABDUCTN, TORTURE AND MURR
• CHECHNYA LGBT: DOZENS 'TAED NEW GAY PURGE'
• CHECHNYA IS TRYG TO EXTERMATE GAY PEOPLE. OUR SILENCE ONLY EMBOLNS VLADIMIR PUT AND RAMZAN KADYROV.
• CHECHEN MEN DCRIBE HOW THEY WERE TORTURED FOR BEG GAY
• RSIA: NEW ANTI-GAY CRACKDOWN CHECHNYA
• CHECHNYA GAY RIGHTS ACTIVISTS 'MAKE UP NONSENSE FOR MONEY' - KADYROV
• CHECHNYA: ESPED GAY MEN SENT BACK BY RSIAN POLICE
• CHECHEN MEN SCRIBE HOW THEY WERE TORTURED FOR BEG GAY
• GAY PEOPLE ARE BEG MURRED CHECHNYA. WHY AREN’T WE TALKG ABOUT IT?DON’T LOOK AWAY“WELE TO CHECHNYA” FOLLOWS PERSECUTED LGBT+ RSIANS FLEEG A GAY PURGE. DIRECTOR DAVID FRANCE EMBEDS THE RCUE EFFORT. HE ALSO WANTS TO KNOW WHY WE’RE IGNORG .KEV FALLONSENR EDOR, OBSSEDUPDATED JUN. 30, 2020 4:31AM EDT / PUBLISHED JUN. 30, 2020 3:29AM EDT HBOIN 2017, REPORTS STARTED CIRCULATG ABOUT THE MURRS. THERE WAS TORTURE, TOO. VLENT EXTORTN. THREATS. PEOPLE WERE “DISAPPEARED.” IT WAS A GAY PURGE. AND STILL IS.IN THE RSIAN REPUBLIC OF CHECHNYA, THE GAY MUNY HAS BEEN HUNTED. READ THAT WORD, AND DIGT WHAT MEANS. THEY HAVE BEEN HUNTED—AND KILLED—FOR YEARS.RAMZAN KADYROV, THE PETULANT MMA FIGHTER TURNED CHECHEN LEAR, HAS VOWED TO “CLEANSE THE BLOOD” OF HIS REPUBLIC, FORCIBLY ERADITG THE LGBT+ POPULATN. IT IS A HUMANARIAN CRISIS THAT, SPE THE SIREN SOUNDG THREE YEARS AGO A FLURRY OF VTIGATIVE NEWS PIEC, HAS BEEN SENTIALLY IGNORED BY THE WTERN WORLD, EVEN AS THE BODY UNT NTU TO CLIMB. NEWSLETTERSTHE DAILY BEAST’S OBSSEDEVERYTHG WE N’T STOP LOVG, HATG, AND THKG ABOUT THIS WEEK POP CULTURE.SUBSCRIBEBY CLICKG "SUBSCRIBE" YOU AGREE TO HAVE READ THE TERMS OF USE AND PRIVACY POLICY “2017 WAS ALSO THE YEAR THAT WE WERE UNFORTUNATE ENOUGH TO GURATE DONALD TMP,” SAYS DAVID FRANCE, THE REPORTER AND FILMMAKER BEHD WELE TO CHECHNYA, THE SEARG NEW DOCUMENTARY TAILG THE EFFORT TO RCUE CHECHENS OM THE GAY PURGE, PREMIERG TUDAY NIGHT ON HBO.  “TMP HAS SUCCSFULLY FLATTENED THE NEWS CYCLE,” FRANCE SAYS. “JT AS HE WAS DOG THAT, JT AS THE MEDIA WAS SUDNLY HOSTAGE TO EVERY TMP TWEET, THAT’S WHEN THE STORY FIRST BROKE. THE NEWS MEDIA HAS A LOT OF RPONSIBILY FOR NOT HAVG PURSUED THE STORY, FOR NOT HAVG KEPT THE NEWS CYCLE, AND ALLOWG THE SHENANIGANS WASHGTON TO TAKE ALL OF THE ATTENTN OM THIS.”WELE TO CHECHNYA FIRST SCREENED JANUARY AT THE SUNDANCE FILM FTIVAL, WHERE IMPASSNED WHISPERS OF “EVERYONE NEEDS TO SEE THIS” PASSED UP AND DOWN THE STREETS OF PARK CY. FRANCE PREVLY DIRECTED THE OSR-NOMATED HOW TO SURVIVE A PLAGUE, ABOUT THE TRANSGRSIVE EFFORTS OF ACTIVISTS FIGHTG FOR THEIR MUNY’S LIV DURG THE AIDS EPIMIC, AND THE DEATH AND LIFE OF MARSHA P. JOHNSON, THE SHATTERG SPOTLIGHT ON THE LIFE OF THE TRANS REBEL WHOSE NAME AND LEGACY, ALL THE YEARS LATER, IS FALLY BEG BELLOWED THROUGH MEGAPHON THE TRANS LIV MATTER MOVEMENT.TO MAKE WELE TO CHECHNYA, FRANCE EMBEDD HIMSELF AMONG THE ANIZERS OF A MORN-DAY UNRGROUND RAILROAD THAT WORKED TO SECRETLY TRANSPORT PERSECUTED LGBT+ CHECHENS OUT OF THE UNTRY. THE DANGERS AND PLITNS OF THAT JOURNEY HAVE NOT BEEN SEEN EURASIA SCE THE FRENCH RISTANCE AGAST THE NAZIS.  THE FILM IS REVOLUTNARY, OWG TO THE TIMACY—AND WH , THE HIGH STAK—FRANCE WAS ABLE TO PTURE WH THE MEN AND WOMEN ON THEIR LONG, LIFE-RISKG JOURNEY OUT OF CHECHNYA. AS SUCH, WELE TO CHECHNYA IS GROUNDBREAKG WAYS NOT TYPILLY TALKED ABOUT THE WORLD OF DOCUMENTARY FILM.IN ORR TO ASSURE THE SAFETY OF THE FILM’S SUBJECTS, WHOSE INTI HAD TO BE PROTECTED BEE, EVEN IF THEY REACHED SAFETY, THEY WOULD STILL BE HUNTED BY THE CHECHEN ERNMENT, WELE TO CHECHNYA PNEERED A DIGAL TECHNOLOGY THAT MASKED S PARTICIPANTS’ FAC. THE SAME ARTIFICIAL TELLIGENCE ED TO CREATE “EP FAK”—SYNTHETIC MEDIA WHICH A PERSON’S FACE IS REPLACED WH SOMEONE ELSE’S LIKENS, MA TO SEEM AS IF THEY ARE SPEAKG AND LIVG AS THE OTHER PERSON—IS EMPLOYED TO PROTECT THE MEN AND WOMEN FLEEG PERSECUTN THE FILM. RATHER THAN HAVG TO OBSCURE THE FAC OF THE DOCUMENTARY’S SUBJECTS OR DISGUISE THEIR VOIC, FRANCE IS ABLE TO ILLUMATE A YET-UNSEEN HUMANY TO THE HARROWG SUATN CHECHNYA. EVERY OTHER TECHNIQUE THE FILMMAKERS TRIED HAD THE EFFECT OF MAKG THE SUBJECTS FEEL “LS THAN HUMAN,” FRANCE SAYS. “MY GOAL WORKG WH THEM WAS TO HELP RTORE THEIR HUMANY AND HELP THEM REGA NTROL OF THEIR OWN NARRATIV.”ADDNAL, AND CCIAL, TOOLS THAT ENAVOR ARE THE GRAPHIC, UPSETTGLY VLENT VIOS THAT APPEAR THROUGHOUT THE FILM. IN ONE, GAYS WHO ARE UGHT KISSG A R ARE GOMELY ATTACKED. IN ANOTHER, A GAY WOMAN IS DRAGGED TO THE MIDDLE OF THE STREET BY HER RELATIV. ONE LEAV TO RETRIEVE A BOULR OM THE SI OF THE ROAD. HE BASH HER HEAD WH . ANOTHER VIO SHOWS A MAN ANALLY RAPED BY POLICE AS PUNISHMENT. THE VIOS ARE HORRIFIC. MORE, THEY WERE FILMED BY THE PERSECUTORS THEMSELV, THE ATTACKG OFFICERS MEMORIALIZG THEIR WORK. “THE ARE TROPHY VIOS THAT THEY HAVE KEPT, AND HAVE SHARED AMONG ONE ANOTHER,” FRANCE SAYS. “A KD OF GLEEFUL CLARATN OF THEIR ACPLISHMENT THIS CRIME AGAST HUMANY. I WANTED YOU TO SEE THE GLEE WH WHICH THE PERPETRATORS WERE CELEBRATG THEIR WORK AND I WANTED TO TURN THAT ON S HEAD. I WANTED TO SAY, ‘WHAT YOU CREATED ED IS EVINCE. AND THIS EVINCE MAK UNNIABLE WHAT’S HAPPENG THERE.’”AHEAD OF S PREMIERE—AND THE THICK OF PRI MONTH, NO LS—WE SPOKE TO FRANCE ABOUT HIS EXPERIENCE CHECHNYA CHRONICLG THE LIFE-OR-ATH PE MISSNS OF HIS SUBJECTS, WHO ARE HUNTED BY THEIR ERNMENT BEE OF WHO THEY LOVE AND HOW THEY INTIFY. WE GET TO THE REVOLUTNARY TECHNOLOGY HE ED TO TELL THEIR STORI, AND WHY THE WTERN WORLD, SPECIFILLY OUR OWN UNTRY, HAS CHOSEN TO IGNORE THEM.WH EVERYTHG HAPPENG THE WORLD, WHAT IS THE SUATN LIKE NOW CHECHNYA?I N TELL YOU THAT THE PANMIC HAS MA ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE FOR ANYBODY TO HELP FOLKS WHO NEED HELP CHECHNYA. THE KADYROV REGIME SHUT DOWN THE BORR AROUND CHECHNYA, ONE OF THE HARSHT SHUTDOWNS ANYWHERE THE WORLD, MAKG IMPOSSIBLE FOR PEOPLE EVEN TO LEAVE THEIR HOM FOR A PERD OF TIME. THE BORR IS STILL SEVERELY NTROLLED. AND SO UNFORTUNATELY THGS HAVE GOTTEN REALLY MUCH MORE DIRE FOR THE PEOPLE WHO ARE TRYG TO MAKE THEIR WAY TO SOME SORT OF A SAFE HAVEN PLACE.EVEN WH ALL THE PREUTNS FOR THE PANMIC, IS THERE STILL THE SAME LEVEL OF VLENCE AND PERSECUTN?THE PURG NEVER REALLY STOPPED CHECHNYA. IT HAS OM TIME TO TIME N OUT OF LEADS. WHEN THEY GET NEW LEADS, RUM THE SAME KD OF TIP-OF-THE-ICEBERG WAY THAT BEGAN, WHICH IS THAT THEY BRG SPECTED QUEERS, TORTURE THEM FOR NFSNS AND LEADS, AND THROUGH THE REVEALG OF PEOPLE THAT THEY KNOW, BRG THOSE PEOPLE , TOO. THAT PATTERN HAS HAPPENED OM TIME TO TIME CYCLILLY SCE 2017.TO GO BACK TO THE BEGNG OF THIS, HOW DID YOU LAND ON THE APPROACH WHERE STEAD OF JT STORYTELLG ABOUT THE VLENCE AND THE SUATN, YOU CID TO EMBED THE EFFORT TO HELP PEOPLE SEEKG ASYLUM?WELL AT LEAST 2017, THE NEWS MEDIA HAD SOME VERAGE OF THE ATROCI BEG RRIED OUT THERE. SO THERE WAS A BASE OF KNOWLEDGE ABOUT THE CRIME. I WANTED TO TELL THE STORY OM THE PERSPECTIVE OF THE ACTIVISTS WHO ARE ON THE GROUND, WORKG TO TRY AND STOP THIS AND SAVE PEOPLE THE ABSENCE OF ANY SORT OF EFFECTIVE TERNATNAL OUTCRY. TO DO THAT I NEED TO GET TO KNOW THEM AND WATCH THEM WORK.  “I WANTED YOU TO SEE THE GLEE WH WHICH THE PERPETRATORS WERE CELEBRATG THEIR WORK AND I WANTED TO TURN THAT ON S HEAD.”— FILMMAKER DAVID FRANCE WHAT DID TAKE TO GA THE TST OF THE PEOPLE YOU WERE FILMG? CLEARLY THEIR LIV WERE ON THE LE, SO WHY WOULD THEY AGREE TO BE FILMED?SOME OF THE ACTIVISTS AGREED RIGHT AWAY, UNRSTANDG THAT WOULD HELP RAISE THE VISIBILY OF THEIR ANIZATN AND THEIR STGGLE, WHICH IS A VERY EXPENSIVE ONE, SO THAT THEY N NTUE DOG THAT WORK. OTHERS WERE SPIC OF ME AND MY AMERIN GAZE WHEN I FIRST ARRIVED. I NEED TO NVCE THEM THAT I SHARED THEIR MMENT TO GETTG THE STORY OUT THE RIGHT WAY. AND A WAY THAT CREASED THEIR SECURY, RATHER THAN CREASED . THE FILM BRGS TERNATNAL ATTENTN TO THEIR WORK A WAY THAT OFFERS THEM SOME MEASURE OF PROTECTN.THE FACIAL DISGUISG IS CCIAL PROTECTG THEIR INTI. AT WHAT POT PRODUCTN DID YOU FIGURE OUT YOU N E THAT AS A TOOL? I HAD SHOT MOST OF THE FILM BEFORE WE BEGAN OUR WORK ON TRYG TO FD WAYS TO DISGUISE THE PEOPLE WHOSE FAC ULDN’T BE SHOWN AND ULD NEVER BE SHOWN. IT’S NOT THAT THEY ULDN’T BE SHOWN AT THE POT OF FILMG. THEY WILL NEVER BE ABLE TO TELL THEIR STORI PUBLICLY WH THEIR FACE AND WH THEIR VOICE BEE THEY ARE LERALLY BEG HUNTED. I MA A PROMISE TO EVERYBODY THAT I WOULD FD SOME WAY TO DISGUISE THEM. I ASKED THEM TO TST ME. SO WAS AFTER MOST OF THE PRCIPAL PHOTOGRAPHY FOR THE FILM THAT WE BEGAN THE REARCH AND VELOPMENT THAT ULTIMATELY TOOK THROUGH EVERY APPROACH THAT DOCUMENTARY FILMS HAVE ED THE PAST TO PROTECT INTI. AND NONE OF THEM WAS SATISFACTORY. WHY DO YOU THK THOSE TRIED-AND-TE METHODS TO DISGUISE INTI DIDN’T WORK?THEY DIMISH THE HUMANY OF THE PEOPLE WHO ARE A FILM BY BLURRG THEIR FAC OR MAKG THEIR VOIC MECHANIL SOUNDG. WE WENT TO ANIMATORS AND HAD ANIMATORS RETERPRET THEM THE AME, AND THAT AGA MA THEM LS THAN HUMAN. MY GOAL WORKG WH THEM WAS TO HELP RTORE THEIR HUMANY A WAY AND HELP THEM REGA NTROL OF THEIR OWN NARRATIV. ULTIMATELY, WE THREW OUR HANDS UP THKG WE WEREN’T GOG TO BE ABLE TO DO THIS. THEN A VFX PANY L.A. PROPOSED THAT MAYBE WOULD BE POSSIBLE TO E AI TECHNOLOGY THAT IS ED ON EP FAK A WAY THAT WOULD ALLOW TO ACTUALLY TRANSPLANT SOMEBODY ELSE’S FACE DIGALLY OVER THE FAC AND HEADS OF THE PEOPLE WHOSE STORI WE’RE TELLG.WHY WAS IMPORTANT TO YOU TO CLU THOSE HORRIFIC VIOS OF PEOPLE BEG BEATEN AND TORTURED?IN THE BACKGROUND TO EVERYBODY’S STORY THAT UNFOLDS THE FILM IS THEIR OWN EXPERIENCE WH TORTURE, THEIR OWN EXPERIENCE WH BEG BROUGHT CLOSE TO ATH. IT’S ONE THG TO HEAR THEM TALK ABOUT , AND ’S ANOTHER THG TO SEE WHAT THEY SEE THEIR MDS, WHICH IS PTURED THOSE VIOS. IT’S THE SHADOW THAT FOLLOWS THEM THROUGH THE FILM AND WILL FOLLOW THEM FOR THE RT OF THEIR LIV. YOU N’T REALLY UNRSTAND THEIR STORY WHOUT SEEG THAT, WHOUT SEEG THE KD OF CELTY AND HUMANY THAT IS BEG RRIED OUT CHECHNYA, AND ELSEWHERE.  THE IMPORTANT POT, TOO, IS THAT THE ARE VIOS THAT WERE TAKEN BY THE PERPETRATORS THEMSELV.THE ARE TROPHY VIOS THAT THEY HAVE KEPT AND HAVE SHARED AMONG ONE ANOTHER A KD OF GLEEFUL CLARATN OF THEIR ACPLISHMENT THIS CRIME AGAST HUMANY. I WANTED YOU TO SEE THE GLEE WH WHICH THE PERPETRATORS WERE CELEBRATG THEIR WORK AND I WANTED TO TURN THAT ON S HEAD. I WANTED TO SAY, “WHAT YOU CREATED ED IS EVINCE. AND THIS EVINCE MAK UNNIABLE WHAT’S HAPPENG THERE.” THE FILM SPECIFI THAT OF ALL THE PEOPLE WHOM ACTIVISTS HAVE HELPED RETTLE OTHER UNTRI, THE TMP ADMISTRATN HAS TAKEN A SGLE ONE SEEKG ASYLUM. BUT BEYOND THAT, OUTSI OF THE IAL FLURRY OF PRS 2017, PEOPLE HERE HAVE STOPPED TALKG ABOUT . WHY IS THAT?2017 WAS ALSO THE YEAR THAT WE WERE UNFORTUNATE ENOUGH TO GURATE DONALD TMP, AND HE HAS SUCCSFULLY FLATTENED THE NEWS CYCLE. JT AS HE WAS DOG THAT, JT AS THE MEDIA WAS SUDNLY HOSTAGE TO EVERY TMP TWEET, THAT’S WHEN THE STORY FIRST BROKE. THE NEWS MEDIA HAS A LOT OF RPONSIBILY FOR NOT HAVG PURSUED THE STORY, FOR NOT HAVG KEPT THE NEWS CYCLE, AND ALLOWG THE SHENANIGANS WASHGTON TO TAKE ALL OF THE ATTENTN OF THIS. WHEN THE PANMIC H, I THK THE NEWS MEDIA WAS BEGNG A RECKONG WH THE WAY WAS NSTRICTG S VERAGE OM AROUND THE WORLD. SO WE’LL SEE WHETHER OR NOT WE N BRG THIS ISSUE BACK TO A POLIL DISCSN. I THK ’S GOG TO BE UP TO THE MEDIA TO DO THAT. KEV FALLON
• ALLEGED GAY 'CONCENTRATN CAMPS' IN CHECHNYA SPARK GLOBAL OUTRAGE

CHECHNYA’S HORRIFIC ‘GAY PURGE’: A 4-YEAR TIMELE OF ABDUCTN, TORTURE AND MURR

April 1, 2021, marks four years sce the world at large was first ma aware of Chechnya’s gay purge — atroci mted agast LGBTQ people wh the Rsian republic’s borrs, a horrific, ongog stratagem of abductn, tament, torture and murr.

CHECHNYA LGBT: DOZENS 'TAED NEW GAY PURGE'

Gradually rebed by Wtern ernments over the years as first-hand acunts began to emerge, Chechnya’s gay purge has largely been ignored — if not supported through omissn — by Rsian Print Vladimir Put and his ernment. Abhorrent extrajudicial actns agast LGBTQ people did not first sprg up April of 2017; ed, lol thori excelled at blackmailg the republic’s gay muny for years prr. After weeks of verifitn, the Rsian-language newspaper shar heart-wrenchg news out of Rsia’s North Cs: More than 100 people have been taed Chechnya, all of whom are gay or spected to be.

CHECHNYA IS TRYG TO EXTERMATE GAY PEOPLE. OUR SILENCE ONLY EMBOLNS VLADIMIR PUT AND RAMZAN KADYROV.

Some of the taed were eventually released and able to flee Chechnya, while others were released only upon handg over about other gay iends and acquatanc. ” Lol thori tell a news agency, “You nnot arrt or reprs people who jt don’t exist the republic, ” suggtg that Chechnya has no gay cizens, and that if did, those cizens’ relativ would have executed them unr honor killg ctoms. Amnty Internatnal lnch an “urgent actn” mpaign askg dividuals to wre to Rsian thori “urgg them to rry out prompt, effective and thorough vtigatns to the reports of abductns and killgs of men believed to be gay Chechnya and to ensure that anyone found guilty or plic such crim will be brought to jtice acrdance wh the laws of the Rsian Feratn.

One of the victims of Chechnya’s gay purge, an aforementned TV journalist, has all footage of his past reportg erased by the Chechen State TV and Rad Company he worked for — “as if he simply did not exist.

It’s now believed that up to several hundred gay men have been round up, some killed, Chechnya, and The Guardian publish this story followg terviews wh gay men who claim they were tortured secret tentn facili. The newspaper urg the Rsian ernment to rpond to lls for a jihad agast journalists reportg on Chechnya’s gay purge, cg the April 3 meetg of 15, 000 at the central mosque of Grozny. Lra Weste, print of the Colombian-based NGO Gpo Acción y Apoyo a Personas Trans tweets a satelle picture that reportedly shows one lotn where gay men are beg held Chechnya’s gay purge.

CHECHEN MEN DCRIBE HOW THEY WERE TORTURED FOR BEG GAY

OutRight Actn Internatnal urg three oil pani wh large vtments Rsian oil and gas — Brish Petrolm, ExxonMobil and Royal Dutch Shell — to publicly nmn Chechnya’s gay purge. As part of a special vtigatn, CNN releas terviews wh multiple victims of Chechnya’s gay purge (their inti ncealed), who discs the form their torture took and the “ath sentence” that has always rulted om beg openly gay the Southern Rsian republic.

RSIA: NEW ANTI-GAY CRACKDOWN CHECHNYA

Speakg to Gay Star News, a Foreign and Commonwealth Office spokperson the UK nfirms that Ramzan Kadyrov, head of the Chechen Republic, has threatened to rid the area of homosexualy “by Ramadan, ” which falls on May 26. Other ci see anized protts agast Chechnya’s gay purge as well, cludg London (April 12), Amsterdam (April 19), Toronto (April 22) and Manchter (April 23). Novaya Gazeta reports there are six known secret prisons for gays Chechnya, one of which is loted the town of Argun and another is the village of Tsotsi-Yurt.

CHECHNYA GAY RIGHTS ACTIVISTS 'MAKE UP NONSENSE FOR MONEY' - KADYROV

Durg a public prs nference wh Vladimir Put, German Chancellor Angela Merkel be the only world lear th far to speak out amid the ongog reports of Chechnya’s gay purge. She lls on Put to “e his fluence to guarantee the rights of mori” after hearg “negative reports on the treatment of homosexuals, particularly Chechnya. Followg reports of a 17-year-old man thrown off a nth floor balny by his own uncle for beg gay, Hor announc the lnch of s “Know Your Rights” mpaign, an tnal effort to help make gay men and travelers aware of their rights different untri around the world.

One week after Rsia promised to nduct an vtigatn to Chechnya’s gay purge, the Rsian Embassy to Israel wr to the Israeli newspaper Haaretz, “There are no victims of persecutn, threats or vlence” the republic.

CHECHNYA: ESPED GAY MEN SENT BACK BY RSIAN POLICE

One of many artists and activists spreadg rmatn and brgg awarens to Chechnya’s gay purge, Brooklyn-based illtrator Pl Tuller sells a new T-shirt, wh 100% of the profs gog to the Rsian LGBTQ Network.

Three French LGBTQ groups — Stop Homophobia, Mose and Come Idaho France — file a plat agast Chechnya wh the Internatnal Crimal Court, accg the Rsian republic of “a policy of genoci” towards gay people and blamg Chechen print Ramzan Kadyrov and his officials for a “wave of persecutn.

CHECHEN MEN SCRIBE HOW THEY WERE TORTURED FOR BEG GAY

The Baltic News Service reports that the eastern European natn of Lhuania has granted visas to at least two men who fled Chechnya’s gay purge, timed wh the Internatnal Day Agast Homophobia, Biphobia and Transphobia (IDAHOT).

GAY PEOPLE ARE BEG MURRED CHECHNYA. WHY AREN’T WE TALKG ABOUT IT?DON’T LOOK AWAY“WELE TO CHECHNYA” FOLLOWS PERSECUTED LGBT+ RSIANS FLEEG A GAY PURGE. DIRECTOR DAVID FRANCE EMBEDS THE RCUE EFFORT. HE ALSO WANTS TO KNOW WHY WE’RE IGNORG .KEV FALLONSENR EDOR, OBSSEDUPDATED JUN. 30, 2020 4:31AM EDT / PUBLISHED JUN. 30, 2020 3:29AM EDT HBOIN 2017, REPORTS STARTED CIRCULATG ABOUT THE MURRS. THERE WAS TORTURE, TOO. VLENT EXTORTN. THREATS. PEOPLE WERE “DISAPPEARED.” IT WAS A GAY PURGE. AND STILL IS.IN THE RSIAN REPUBLIC OF CHECHNYA, THE GAY MUNY HAS BEEN HUNTED. READ THAT WORD, AND DIGT WHAT MEANS. THEY HAVE BEEN HUNTED—AND KILLED—FOR YEARS.RAMZAN KADYROV, THE PETULANT MMA FIGHTER TURNED CHECHEN LEAR, HAS VOWED TO “CLEANSE THE BLOOD” OF HIS REPUBLIC, FORCIBLY ERADITG THE LGBT+ POPULATN. IT IS A HUMANARIAN CRISIS THAT, SPE THE SIREN SOUNDG THREE YEARS AGO A FLURRY OF VTIGATIVE NEWS PIEC, HAS BEEN SENTIALLY IGNORED BY THE WTERN WORLD, EVEN AS THE BODY UNT NTU TO CLIMB. NEWSLETTERSTHE DAILY BEAST’S OBSSEDEVERYTHG WE N’T STOP LOVG, HATG, AND THKG ABOUT THIS WEEK POP CULTURE.SUBSCRIBEBY CLICKG "SUBSCRIBE" YOU AGREE TO HAVE READ THE TERMS OF USE AND PRIVACY POLICY “2017 WAS ALSO THE YEAR THAT WE WERE UNFORTUNATE ENOUGH TO GURATE DONALD TMP,” SAYS DAVID FRANCE, THE REPORTER AND FILMMAKER BEHD WELE TO CHECHNYA, THE SEARG NEW DOCUMENTARY TAILG THE EFFORT TO RCUE CHECHENS OM THE GAY PURGE, PREMIERG TUDAY NIGHT ON HBO.  “TMP HAS SUCCSFULLY FLATTENED THE NEWS CYCLE,” FRANCE SAYS. “JT AS HE WAS DOG THAT, JT AS THE MEDIA WAS SUDNLY HOSTAGE TO EVERY TMP TWEET, THAT’S WHEN THE STORY FIRST BROKE. THE NEWS MEDIA HAS A LOT OF RPONSIBILY FOR NOT HAVG PURSUED THE STORY, FOR NOT HAVG KEPT THE NEWS CYCLE, AND ALLOWG THE SHENANIGANS WASHGTON TO TAKE ALL OF THE ATTENTN OM THIS.”WELE TO CHECHNYA FIRST SCREENED JANUARY AT THE SUNDANCE FILM FTIVAL, WHERE IMPASSNED WHISPERS OF “EVERYONE NEEDS TO SEE THIS” PASSED UP AND DOWN THE STREETS OF PARK CY. FRANCE PREVLY DIRECTED THE OSR-NOMATED HOW TO SURVIVE A PLAGUE, ABOUT THE TRANSGRSIVE EFFORTS OF ACTIVISTS FIGHTG FOR THEIR MUNY’S LIV DURG THE AIDS EPIMIC, AND THE DEATH AND LIFE OF MARSHA P. JOHNSON, THE SHATTERG SPOTLIGHT ON THE LIFE OF THE TRANS REBEL WHOSE NAME AND LEGACY, ALL THE YEARS LATER, IS FALLY BEG BELLOWED THROUGH MEGAPHON THE TRANS LIV MATTER MOVEMENT.TO MAKE WELE TO CHECHNYA, FRANCE EMBEDD HIMSELF AMONG THE ANIZERS OF A MORN-DAY UNRGROUND RAILROAD THAT WORKED TO SECRETLY TRANSPORT PERSECUTED LGBT+ CHECHENS OUT OF THE UNTRY. THE DANGERS AND PLITNS OF THAT JOURNEY HAVE NOT BEEN SEEN EURASIA SCE THE FRENCH RISTANCE AGAST THE NAZIS.  THE FILM IS REVOLUTNARY, OWG TO THE TIMACY—AND WH , THE HIGH STAK—FRANCE WAS ABLE TO PTURE WH THE MEN AND WOMEN ON THEIR LONG, LIFE-RISKG JOURNEY OUT OF CHECHNYA. AS SUCH, WELE TO CHECHNYA IS GROUNDBREAKG WAYS NOT TYPILLY TALKED ABOUT THE WORLD OF DOCUMENTARY FILM.IN ORR TO ASSURE THE SAFETY OF THE FILM’S SUBJECTS, WHOSE INTI HAD TO BE PROTECTED BEE, EVEN IF THEY REACHED SAFETY, THEY WOULD STILL BE HUNTED BY THE CHECHEN ERNMENT, WELE TO CHECHNYA PNEERED A DIGAL TECHNOLOGY THAT MASKED S PARTICIPANTS’ FAC. THE SAME ARTIFICIAL TELLIGENCE ED TO CREATE “EP FAK”—SYNTHETIC MEDIA WHICH A PERSON’S FACE IS REPLACED WH SOMEONE ELSE’S LIKENS, MA TO SEEM AS IF THEY ARE SPEAKG AND LIVG AS THE OTHER PERSON—IS EMPLOYED TO PROTECT THE MEN AND WOMEN FLEEG PERSECUTN THE FILM. RATHER THAN HAVG TO OBSCURE THE FAC OF THE DOCUMENTARY’S SUBJECTS OR DISGUISE THEIR VOIC, FRANCE IS ABLE TO ILLUMATE A YET-UNSEEN HUMANY TO THE HARROWG SUATN CHECHNYA. EVERY OTHER TECHNIQUE THE FILMMAKERS TRIED HAD THE EFFECT OF MAKG THE SUBJECTS FEEL “LS THAN HUMAN,” FRANCE SAYS. “MY GOAL WORKG WH THEM WAS TO HELP RTORE THEIR HUMANY AND HELP THEM REGA NTROL OF THEIR OWN NARRATIV.”ADDNAL, AND CCIAL, TOOLS THAT ENAVOR ARE THE GRAPHIC, UPSETTGLY VLENT VIOS THAT APPEAR THROUGHOUT THE FILM. IN ONE, GAYS WHO ARE UGHT KISSG A R ARE GOMELY ATTACKED. IN ANOTHER, A GAY WOMAN IS DRAGGED TO THE MIDDLE OF THE STREET BY HER RELATIV. ONE LEAV TO RETRIEVE A BOULR OM THE SI OF THE ROAD. HE BASH HER HEAD WH . ANOTHER VIO SHOWS A MAN ANALLY RAPED BY POLICE AS PUNISHMENT. THE VIOS ARE HORRIFIC. MORE, THEY WERE FILMED BY THE PERSECUTORS THEMSELV, THE ATTACKG OFFICERS MEMORIALIZG THEIR WORK. “THE ARE TROPHY VIOS THAT THEY HAVE KEPT, AND HAVE SHARED AMONG ONE ANOTHER,” FRANCE SAYS. “A KD OF GLEEFUL CLARATN OF THEIR ACPLISHMENT THIS CRIME AGAST HUMANY. I WANTED YOU TO SEE THE GLEE WH WHICH THE PERPETRATORS WERE CELEBRATG THEIR WORK AND I WANTED TO TURN THAT ON S HEAD. I WANTED TO SAY, ‘WHAT YOU CREATED ED IS EVINCE. AND THIS EVINCE MAK UNNIABLE WHAT’S HAPPENG THERE.’”AHEAD OF S PREMIERE—AND THE THICK OF PRI MONTH, NO LS—WE SPOKE TO FRANCE ABOUT HIS EXPERIENCE CHECHNYA CHRONICLG THE LIFE-OR-ATH PE MISSNS OF HIS SUBJECTS, WHO ARE HUNTED BY THEIR ERNMENT BEE OF WHO THEY LOVE AND HOW THEY INTIFY. WE GET TO THE REVOLUTNARY TECHNOLOGY HE ED TO TELL THEIR STORI, AND WHY THE WTERN WORLD, SPECIFILLY OUR OWN UNTRY, HAS CHOSEN TO IGNORE THEM.WH EVERYTHG HAPPENG THE WORLD, WHAT IS THE SUATN LIKE NOW CHECHNYA?I N TELL YOU THAT THE PANMIC HAS MA ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE FOR ANYBODY TO HELP FOLKS WHO NEED HELP CHECHNYA. THE KADYROV REGIME SHUT DOWN THE BORR AROUND CHECHNYA, ONE OF THE HARSHT SHUTDOWNS ANYWHERE THE WORLD, MAKG IMPOSSIBLE FOR PEOPLE EVEN TO LEAVE THEIR HOM FOR A PERD OF TIME. THE BORR IS STILL SEVERELY NTROLLED. AND SO UNFORTUNATELY THGS HAVE GOTTEN REALLY MUCH MORE DIRE FOR THE PEOPLE WHO ARE TRYG TO MAKE THEIR WAY TO SOME SORT OF A SAFE HAVEN PLACE.EVEN WH ALL THE PREUTNS FOR THE PANMIC, IS THERE STILL THE SAME LEVEL OF VLENCE AND PERSECUTN?THE PURG NEVER REALLY STOPPED CHECHNYA. IT HAS OM TIME TO TIME N OUT OF LEADS. WHEN THEY GET NEW LEADS, RUM THE SAME KD OF TIP-OF-THE-ICEBERG WAY THAT BEGAN, WHICH IS THAT THEY BRG SPECTED QUEERS, TORTURE THEM FOR NFSNS AND LEADS, AND THROUGH THE REVEALG OF PEOPLE THAT THEY KNOW, BRG THOSE PEOPLE , TOO. THAT PATTERN HAS HAPPENED OM TIME TO TIME CYCLILLY SCE 2017.TO GO BACK TO THE BEGNG OF THIS, HOW DID YOU LAND ON THE APPROACH WHERE STEAD OF JT STORYTELLG ABOUT THE VLENCE AND THE SUATN, YOU CID TO EMBED THE EFFORT TO HELP PEOPLE SEEKG ASYLUM?WELL AT LEAST 2017, THE NEWS MEDIA HAD SOME VERAGE OF THE ATROCI BEG RRIED OUT THERE. SO THERE WAS A BASE OF KNOWLEDGE ABOUT THE CRIME. I WANTED TO TELL THE STORY OM THE PERSPECTIVE OF THE ACTIVISTS WHO ARE ON THE GROUND, WORKG TO TRY AND STOP THIS AND SAVE PEOPLE THE ABSENCE OF ANY SORT OF EFFECTIVE TERNATNAL OUTCRY. TO DO THAT I NEED TO GET TO KNOW THEM AND WATCH THEM WORK.  “I WANTED YOU TO SEE THE GLEE WH WHICH THE PERPETRATORS WERE CELEBRATG THEIR WORK AND I WANTED TO TURN THAT ON S HEAD.”— FILMMAKER DAVID FRANCE WHAT DID TAKE TO GA THE TST OF THE PEOPLE YOU WERE FILMG? CLEARLY THEIR LIV WERE ON THE LE, SO WHY WOULD THEY AGREE TO BE FILMED?SOME OF THE ACTIVISTS AGREED RIGHT AWAY, UNRSTANDG THAT WOULD HELP RAISE THE VISIBILY OF THEIR ANIZATN AND THEIR STGGLE, WHICH IS A VERY EXPENSIVE ONE, SO THAT THEY N NTUE DOG THAT WORK. OTHERS WERE SPIC OF ME AND MY AMERIN GAZE WHEN I FIRST ARRIVED. I NEED TO NVCE THEM THAT I SHARED THEIR MMENT TO GETTG THE STORY OUT THE RIGHT WAY. AND A WAY THAT CREASED THEIR SECURY, RATHER THAN CREASED . THE FILM BRGS TERNATNAL ATTENTN TO THEIR WORK A WAY THAT OFFERS THEM SOME MEASURE OF PROTECTN.THE FACIAL DISGUISG IS CCIAL PROTECTG THEIR INTI. AT WHAT POT PRODUCTN DID YOU FIGURE OUT YOU N E THAT AS A TOOL? I HAD SHOT MOST OF THE FILM BEFORE WE BEGAN OUR WORK ON TRYG TO FD WAYS TO DISGUISE THE PEOPLE WHOSE FAC ULDN’T BE SHOWN AND ULD NEVER BE SHOWN. IT’S NOT THAT THEY ULDN’T BE SHOWN AT THE POT OF FILMG. THEY WILL NEVER BE ABLE TO TELL THEIR STORI PUBLICLY WH THEIR FACE AND WH THEIR VOICE BEE THEY ARE LERALLY BEG HUNTED. I MA A PROMISE TO EVERYBODY THAT I WOULD FD SOME WAY TO DISGUISE THEM. I ASKED THEM TO TST ME. SO WAS AFTER MOST OF THE PRCIPAL PHOTOGRAPHY FOR THE FILM THAT WE BEGAN THE REARCH AND VELOPMENT THAT ULTIMATELY TOOK THROUGH EVERY APPROACH THAT DOCUMENTARY FILMS HAVE ED THE PAST TO PROTECT INTI. AND NONE OF THEM WAS SATISFACTORY. WHY DO YOU THK THOSE TRIED-AND-TE METHODS TO DISGUISE INTI DIDN’T WORK?THEY DIMISH THE HUMANY OF THE PEOPLE WHO ARE A FILM BY BLURRG THEIR FAC OR MAKG THEIR VOIC MECHANIL SOUNDG. WE WENT TO ANIMATORS AND HAD ANIMATORS RETERPRET THEM THE AME, AND THAT AGA MA THEM LS THAN HUMAN. MY GOAL WORKG WH THEM WAS TO HELP RTORE THEIR HUMANY A WAY AND HELP THEM REGA NTROL OF THEIR OWN NARRATIV. ULTIMATELY, WE THREW OUR HANDS UP THKG WE WEREN’T GOG TO BE ABLE TO DO THIS. THEN A VFX PANY L.A. PROPOSED THAT MAYBE WOULD BE POSSIBLE TO E AI TECHNOLOGY THAT IS ED ON EP FAK A WAY THAT WOULD ALLOW TO ACTUALLY TRANSPLANT SOMEBODY ELSE’S FACE DIGALLY OVER THE FAC AND HEADS OF THE PEOPLE WHOSE STORI WE’RE TELLG.WHY WAS IMPORTANT TO YOU TO CLU THOSE HORRIFIC VIOS OF PEOPLE BEG BEATEN AND TORTURED?IN THE BACKGROUND TO EVERYBODY’S STORY THAT UNFOLDS THE FILM IS THEIR OWN EXPERIENCE WH TORTURE, THEIR OWN EXPERIENCE WH BEG BROUGHT CLOSE TO ATH. IT’S ONE THG TO HEAR THEM TALK ABOUT , AND ’S ANOTHER THG TO SEE WHAT THEY SEE THEIR MDS, WHICH IS PTURED THOSE VIOS. IT’S THE SHADOW THAT FOLLOWS THEM THROUGH THE FILM AND WILL FOLLOW THEM FOR THE RT OF THEIR LIV. YOU N’T REALLY UNRSTAND THEIR STORY WHOUT SEEG THAT, WHOUT SEEG THE KD OF CELTY AND HUMANY THAT IS BEG RRIED OUT CHECHNYA, AND ELSEWHERE.  THE IMPORTANT POT, TOO, IS THAT THE ARE VIOS THAT WERE TAKEN BY THE PERPETRATORS THEMSELV.THE ARE TROPHY VIOS THAT THEY HAVE KEPT AND HAVE SHARED AMONG ONE ANOTHER A KD OF GLEEFUL CLARATN OF THEIR ACPLISHMENT THIS CRIME AGAST HUMANY. I WANTED YOU TO SEE THE GLEE WH WHICH THE PERPETRATORS WERE CELEBRATG THEIR WORK AND I WANTED TO TURN THAT ON S HEAD. I WANTED TO SAY, “WHAT YOU CREATED ED IS EVINCE. AND THIS EVINCE MAK UNNIABLE WHAT’S HAPPENG THERE.” THE FILM SPECIFI THAT OF ALL THE PEOPLE WHOM ACTIVISTS HAVE HELPED RETTLE OTHER UNTRI, THE TMP ADMISTRATN HAS TAKEN A SGLE ONE SEEKG ASYLUM. BUT BEYOND THAT, OUTSI OF THE IAL FLURRY OF PRS 2017, PEOPLE HERE HAVE STOPPED TALKG ABOUT . WHY IS THAT?2017 WAS ALSO THE YEAR THAT WE WERE UNFORTUNATE ENOUGH TO GURATE DONALD TMP, AND HE HAS SUCCSFULLY FLATTENED THE NEWS CYCLE. JT AS HE WAS DOG THAT, JT AS THE MEDIA WAS SUDNLY HOSTAGE TO EVERY TMP TWEET, THAT’S WHEN THE STORY FIRST BROKE. THE NEWS MEDIA HAS A LOT OF RPONSIBILY FOR NOT HAVG PURSUED THE STORY, FOR NOT HAVG KEPT THE NEWS CYCLE, AND ALLOWG THE SHENANIGANS WASHGTON TO TAKE ALL OF THE ATTENTN OF THIS. WHEN THE PANMIC H, I THK THE NEWS MEDIA WAS BEGNG A RECKONG WH THE WAY WAS NSTRICTG S VERAGE OM AROUND THE WORLD. SO WE’LL SEE WHETHER OR NOT WE N BRG THIS ISSUE BACK TO A POLIL DISCSN. I THK ’S GOG TO BE UP TO THE MEDIA TO DO THAT. KEV FALLON

The prott ends peacefully wh no arrts or major disturbanc, even though such non-permted monstratns are illegal Rsia and n afoul of the natn’s so-lled “gay propaganda” law. Novaya Gazeta publish a report sayg 26 people have now been murred “extrajudicial killgs” as part of Chechnya’s gay purge, and go on to acce Chechen thori of a systematic sabotage of Rsia’s vtigatn efforts.

The ostensible purpose of the torture is to get the nam of other gay men, but one refugee tells Human Rights Watch that if a victim giv up rmatn, actually prolongs the torture hop of more rmatn.

Officials also rerd the torture ssns on cellphone meras to show fai later as proof of what will happen to them if they do not “remove the sta of homosexual shame om their fai. On the eve of the first G20 summ meetg between Tmp and Put, The Rsian LGBT Network — which has at this pot helped approximately 40 gay Chechens pe the regn — says has “received more lls om Chechnya the last 72 hours” and has “credible evince that arrts are happeng aga. The special ss down wh both Kadyrov (his first terview wh a Wtern reporter years) and Novaya Gazeta journalist Elena Milasha, who ially broke the story of Chechnya’s gay purge.

ALLEGED GAY 'CONCENTRATN CAMPS' IN CHECHNYA SPARK GLOBAL OUTRAGE

While beg terviewed, Kadyrov refers to Chechnya as “a pletely mocratic republic, ” touts the republic’s eedom of speech and happy cizens, and dismiss all claims of Chechnya’s gay purge as “nonsense.

” He also nonsensilly claims “We don’t have such people here, ” referrg to gay men Chechnya, while also claimg any gay men should be purged om the regn “to purify our blood. The report has three other ma takeaways: (1) the cultural ndns that set the stage for Chechnya’s anti-gay purge; (2) how Chechen thori are fdg spected homosexuals, cludg roadsi stops, home raids and workplace viss; and (3) the torture methods ed Chechnya’s gay purge, cludg electrocutn, beatgs, starvatn, hydratn, isolatn, forced nudy and verbal abe. Khudoberdi Nurmatov, a 30-year-old openly gay journalist who helped unver Chechnya’s gay purge while workg for Novaya Gazeta, has his portatn to Uzbekistan temporarily halted by a Rsian urt.