Chechen Men Dcribe How They Were Tortured for Beg Gay

Contents:

• 'ANY DAY YOU N BE TAKEN': INSI WHAT 'S LIKE TO BE GAY CHECHNYA
• NO END TO CHECHNYA’S VLENT ANTI-GAY CAMPAIGN
• 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
• JOURNALIST WHO UNVERED CHECHNYA’S ANTI-GAY PURGE ATTACKED
• DETAED, TORTURED, KILLED: HOW CHECHNYA CRACKED DOWN ON GAYS
• CHECHNYA’S HORRIFIC ‘GAY PURGE’: A 4-YEAR TIMELE OF ABDUCTN, TORTURE AND MURR
• GAY PEOPLE CHECHNYA DPERATELY NEED THE WORLD'S HELP
• ONLY FIVE UNTRI ARE HELPG GAY CHECHENS LEAVE RSIA
• THE TREATMENT OF THE GAY MUNY CHECHNYA
• LGBT, TERRIFIED FOR THEIR LIV RSIA, AND DPERATE FOR ASYLUMHEROTHE RSIAN-BASED ANIZATN STIMUL OFFERS SAFE PLAC TO LIVE AND ASYLUM ADVOCY FOR LGBT PEOPLE FLEEG LIFE-THREATENG SUATNS HOMOPHOBIC CENTRAL ASIAN UNTRI.TIM TEEMANSENR EDOR AND WRERUPDATED FEB. 26, 2020 6:46PM EST / PUBLISHED JUN. 01, 2018 4:41AM EDT GETTYWHEN HE WAS 15, HIS FAY FOUND OUT THAT IBRAHIM (NOT HIS REAL NAME) WAS GAY.IN A WRTEN TTIMONY, THE NOW 20-YEAR-OLD CHECHEN RELLED TO THE DAILY BEAST THAT OM THAT MOMENT ON, LOL MULLAHS AND “OLD WIV” (FAH HEALERS AND LOL WOMEN REPUTED TO BE WCH) “TRIED TO ‘TREAT’ ME FOR MY HOMOSEXUALY.”HE RELLED THE “TREATMENTS” GRAPHIC TAIL. “THEIR ABHORRENT ACTNS—BLOODLETTG (WHEN THE SK IS BROKEN OFF WH THE HELP OF A MEDIL JAR], HERBS (AFTER WHICH I HAD HALLUCATNS, NSEA, STOMACH PAS), STRONG PRSURE ON THE PAFUL POTS OF THE BODY, AND WHAT WAS EVEN MORE TERRIBLE—THE ELECTRIC SHOCKS ONTO THE PENIS. THERE WERE ALSO SOME ‘SPELLS’ OR NASHIDAS (THOUGH TO NO EFFECT). THE ALL EXHSTED ME. IT WENT ON AND OFF FOR MONTHS TILL I TURNED 18.”IBRAHIM IS ALL RIGHT, FOR NOW, HAVG PED CHECHNYA. HE IS LIVG UNR THE RE OF STIMUL, A RSIAN LGBT ANIZATN STAFFED BY SIX ACTIVISTS THAT, AMONG S OTHER WORK, ARRANG SAFE HOG AND ADVICE AND ADVOCY LARGE RSIAN CI FOR VULNERABLE LGBT PEOPLE SEEKG ASYLUM OM CENTRAL ASIAN UNTRI LIKE AFGHANISTAN, UZBEKISTAN, AND TAJIKISTAN, AS WELL AS CHECHNYA, WHERE HOMOSEXUALY IS NOT ONLY AGAST THE LAW—EXCEPT TAJIKISTAN—BUT WHERE LGBT PEOPLE ARE ALSO VICLY PERSECUTED. IN APRIL LAST YEAR, TERNATNAL OUTRAGE FOLLOWED REPORTS THAT HUNDREDS OF GAY MEN HAD BEEN TAED AND TORTURED, AND SOME KILLED, BY CHECHEN THORI.ULTIMATELY, STIMUL AIMS TO SUCCSFULLY PLACE LGBT PEOPLE FACG PERSECUTN LIKE IBRAHIM SEEKG ASYLUM EUROPEAN UNTRI, THE U.S., AND CANADA.AFTER HE TURNED 18, IBRAHIM SAID HIS PARENTS, NTS, AND OTHER RELATIV GOT ED TO HIM BEG GAY “AND BEGAN TO TREAT ME LIGHTER, ACCEPTED, SO TO SAY. BUT MY VISS TO THE ‘HEALERS’ DIDN’T END. NOT AS OFTEN, BUT I VISED THEM, BEE MY PARENTS STILL HOPED THAT HOMOSEXUALY WOULD PASS, OR OTHER WORDS, ‘HEAL.’” HE FACED EVEN GRAVER PROBLEMS WHEN HIS EX-BOYIEND, A SUPPORTER OF CHECHEN LEAR RAMZAN KADYROV, TOLD IBRAHIM THAT HE WAS ON THE LIST OF GAY MEN THE THORI WERE LOOKG FOR.“I LEARNED ABOUT THIS LIST LATER, WHEN RMATN APPEARED THAT KADYROV’S SUPPORTERS AND THE LOL POLICE WERE LOOKG FOR GAYS CHECHNYA, ACRDG TO PILED LISTS.” IF THE MEN WERE FOUND, IBRAHIM HEARD, THEY WERE TAED, KEPT SECRET PRISONS, AND TORTURED.THOSE GAY MEN WERE TOLD BY THEIR PTORS ABOUT OTHER GAY MEN, AND THEN GIVEN BACK TO RELATIV, “IF THEY HADN’T ALREADY TORTURED THEM TO ATH. AFTER THAT, THERE IS NO RMATN ABOUT THE GUYS: WHETHER THEY ARE ALIVE OR NOT. MOST LIKELY, THEIR RELATIV SECRETLY KILLED THEM (‘MURRS OF HONOR’) AND FOT ABOUT THEM ONCE AND FOR ALL.“I DID NOT HAVE TIME TO ASK MY BOYIEND ANY QUTNS. HE TURNED HIS PHONE OFF AND DISAPPEARED. AFTER THIS LL, I REALIZED THAT HE CHANGED HIS NUMBER.”IBRAHIM PACKED WHAT HE ULD AND FLED OM GROZNY, TURNG TO HELP OM THE RSIAN LGBT NETWORK, WHERE THERE WAS A PROGRAM TO HELP LGBT PEOPLE FLEEG CHECHNYA. (THAT ANIZATN AND THE MOSW LGBT COMMUNY CENTER, AS REPORTED BY MASHA GSEN THE NEW YORKER, HAS SAVED THE LIV OF MORE THAN 100 CHECHEN GAY MEN.) THEN IBRAHIM FOUND STIMUL.THE ANIZATN, WHICH PENDS ON DONATNS, WAS FOUND 2015 AS A GENERAL LGBT ADVICE AND ADVOCY ANIZATN. SCE JUNE 2017, HAS ALSO PROVID SAFE SHELTER AND LEGAL HELP AND ASSISTANCE TO THOSE SEEKG SAFETY RSIA, AND THEN ASYLUM ELSEWHERE. YURI GUAIANA, SENR MPAIGNS MANAGER OF THE TERNATNAL LGBT ADVOCY ANIZATN ALL OUT, TOLD THE DAILY BEAST LGBT THAT PEOPLE OM CENTRAL ASIA AND CHECHNYA WERE FACG “A TERRIBLE SUATN, THE LEVEL OF DISCRIMATN AND PERSECUTN IS SO HIGH.”THEY NEED THE SAFETY AND PROTECTN THAT STIMUL OFFERS, GUAIANA ADD (ALL OUT IS CURRENTLY PARTNERG A FUNDRAISG DRIVE FOR THE ANIZATN).TWO OF STIMUL’S CLIENTS ARE NOW SAFE EUROPEAN UNTRI, AND THREE ARE AWAG FAL APPROVAL OF DOCUMENTATN. ANDREI PETROV, THE HEAD OF STIMUL, AND ANTON RYZHOV, A LAWYER FOR THE ANIZATN WHO TRANSLATED PETROV’S WORDS, SAID THAT ABOUT 20 PEOPLE HAD NTACTED STIMUL FOR HELP SCE LAST SUMMER. THE NUMBERS OF THOSE SEEKG ASYLUM OM SUCH UNTRI ARE CREASG, THE MEN SAID. “THE MOST SURPRISG, SHOCKG THGS ARE THE STORI ABOUT TORTURE, AND FORCED ‘CUR’ OF HOMOSEXUALY.”— ANDREI PETROV, HEAD OF STIMUL RSIA SELF IS A NOTABLY UNSAFE PLACE FOR LGBT PEOPLE; HATE CRIM AGAST LGBT PEOPLE HAVE DOUBLED THERE THE LAST FIVE YEARS. AS REPORTED THIS WEEK, ANTI-GAY AND RACIST SOCCER CHANTS HAVE CREASED THE N-UP TO THE WORLD CUP, WHICH RSIA IS HOSTG.“WE DON’T HAVE ANY ERNMENTAL SUPPORT,” SAID PETROV OF STIMUL’S WORK. “AS FOR THE LEVEL OF DANGERS, AS FOR THE LEVEL OF THREATS, WE THK ’S THE SAME AS FOR ANY NGO IS RSIA, NOT JT FOR AN LGBT ANIZATN, BUT HUMAN RIGHTS FENRS. WE ARE UNR THIS NSTANT THREAT, BUT LUCKILY NO SER ATTACKS HAVE BEEN MA ON .“THE ATTU OF SOCIETY TO LGBT PEOPLE AND THE S IS STILL VERY HOMOPHOBIC. BUT WHERE ONCE THERE WERE NO LGBT ANIZATNS, NOW THERE ARE THREE. THAT’S POSIVE, AS IS THE SUPPORT WE GET OM OTHER HUMAN RIGHTS ANIZATNS HERE.”GUAIANA LLED THE ACTIVISTS OF STIMUL “EXTREMELY BRAVE.”THE ANIZATN NNECTS S CLIENTS WH THE UN REFUGEE AGENCY (UNHCR) AND THE EMBASSI OF WELG EUROPEAN UNTRI.“THE MOST SURPRISG, SHOCKG THGS ARE THE STORI ABOUT TORTURE, AND FORCED ‘CUR’ OF HOMOSEXUALY,” SAID PETROV. “IT IS NOT LIKE HOW THGS ARE CIVILIZED UNTRI, AND EVEN FOR RSIA IS RATHER SHOCKG.” ONE RECENT APPLITN WAS OM A YOUNG MAN OM TAJIKISTAN. AFTER HIS PARENTS DISVERED HE WAS GAY, THEY VED A REPRENTATIVE OM THE LOL MOSQUE TO “CHANT SOME SPELLS” OVER THEIR SON. THE YOUNG MAN WAS TOLD TO SPEND ONE MONTH A CLOSED ROOM WH NO MUNITN WH ANYONE ELSE. HE GOT OUT.ANOTHER YOUNG WOMAN WHO NTACTED STIMUL SAID SHE WAS A LBIAN WHO HAD BEEN FORCIBLY MARRIED TO A YOUNG MAN. “NOW SHE’S NSTANTLY BEATEN BY HIM AND RAPED BY HIM, AND SHE IS STILL SUCH A MARRIAGE. WE ARE TRYG TO HELP HER SOMEHOW,” SAID PETROV.RYZHOV WORKED CHECHNYA FOR MORE THAN SEVEN YEARS AS A HUMAN RIGHTS ADVOTE, NOT ALG WH LGBT S SPECIFILLY BUT MORE GENERALLY ABDUCTN AND TORTURE S VOLVG LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCI. THE STATE THORI DO NOT VTIGATE ALLEGATNS OF BTALY, AND PEOPLE ARE TOO AAID TO REPORT SUCH ALLEGATNS TO THEM, HE TOLD THE DAILY BEAST.THE HIGHLY PUBLICIZED LGBT PERSECUTN LAST YEAR CHECHNYA HAS NOW RECED, RYZHOV SAID, ALTHOUGH LGBT PEOPLE REMA UNR “NSTANT THREAT” THERE. THE CHECHEN THORI LNCH “WAV OF PROPAGANDA” AIMED AT GROUPS AS DISPARATE AS LGBT PEOPLE, DG ERS, ALHOLICS, AND MEMBERS OF ISIS, HE ADD—GROUPS THAT FOR VERY DIFFERENT REASONS ARE SEEN AS “DANGERO AND APPROPRIATE, AND MT BE ELIMATED PHYSILLY OR BY SOME OTHER MEANS.”IN MAY 2017, GUAIANA WAS ARRTED MOSW ALONG WH FOUR OTHER ACTIVISTS. THEY WERE ATTEMPTG TO HAND A 2 LN-SIGNATURE PETN ASKG THE RSIAN THORI TO VTIGATE WHAT HAD HAPPENED CHECHNYA.ASKED IF ANY OF THE UNTRI STIMUL HAD CLIENTS OM WERE AS BAD AS CHECHNYA FOR LGBT PEOPLE, PETROV REPLIED, “UZBEKISTAN. THERE, LGBT PEOPLE ARE ARRTED AND PUT PRISON. THE POLICE DO THE SAME KDS OF RAIDS AND MPAIGNS. THERE IS PHYSIL VLENCE SI PRISONS TOO.”THE MOSW TIM REPORTED THAT ACTG JTICE MISTER ALEXANR KONOVALOV TOLD THE UN HUMAN RIGHTS COUNCIL MID-MAY, “THE VTIGATNS THAT WE RRIED OUT [...] DID NOT NFIRM EVINCE OF RIGHTS’ VLATNS, NOR WERE WE EVEN ABLE TO FD REPRENTATIV OF THE LGBT MUNY CHECHNYA... PLEASE, HELP DO THIS AND FD THEM.”KONOVALOV SAID ACCATNS OF DISCRIMATN RSIA WERE EHER “LACKG NCRETE EVINCE” OR “NOT AT ALL RELATED TO THEIR [VICTIMS’] POLIL BELIEFS, SEXUAL ORIENTATN, RELIG VIEWS AND SO ON.” “THE ONLY POSIVE THG IS THAT THE APPLINTS HAVE TAKEN THE CISN TO FIGHT FOR THEIR LIV. THEY ULDN’T HI THEMSELV, SO THEY CID TO TRY TO PROTECT THEIR RIGHTS.”— ANDREI PETROV, HEAD OF STIMUL PETROV SAID THE SUATN FOR STIMUL’S CLIENTS WAS NOT GETTG BETTER ANY OF THE CENTRAL ASIAN UNTRI ALS WH. “WE N’T SEE ANY POSIVE CHANG, WE DON’T SEE ANY LIGHT SUCH ATTUS TO LGBT PEOPLE THE UNTRI,” SAID PETROV. “THE ONLY POSIVE THG IS THAT THE APPLINTS HAVE TAKEN THE CISN TO FIGHT FOR THEIR LIV. THEY ULDN’T HI THEMSELV, SO THEY CID TO TRY TO PROTECT THEIR RIGHTS. TO EVEN GO TO HUMAN RIGHTS FENRS, TAK A HUGE URAGE TO TALK, TO TELL YOUR STORY. SOMETIM YOU NEED TO LODGE OFFICIAL DOCUMENTS WH EMBASSI, OR THE CRIMAL LAW THORI.”WHEN THE APPLINTS REACH STIMUL, SOME NEED URGENT PSYCHOLOGIL HELP PENDG ON WHAT THEY HAVE ENDURED. “SOME ARE NSTANT STRS,” SAID PETROV. “YOU NTUE TO BE NSTANT THREAT. RSIA N EXPEL YOU BACK TO YOUR NATIVE UNTRY.” HE CED THE SE OF ALI FEZ, A GAY JOURNALIST FOR NOVAYA GAZETA WHOM THE MOSW THORI WISHED TO PORT BACK TO UZBEKISTAN BUT WHO EVENTUALLY FOUND SANCTUARY GERMANY, THANKS TO THE TERVENTN OF THE EUROPEAN COURT OF HUMAN RIGHTS. “RSIA IS NOT A SAFE PLACE FOR THE PEOPLE,” SAID PETROV. “IT IS AN TERMEDIATE PLACE TO STAY BEFORE GOG TO A SAFER PLACE EUROPE. THE LGBT PEOPLE ARE LIFE-THREATENG SUATNS. LIFE RSIA ISN’T SAFE FOR THEM. LGBT PEOPLE ARE NSTANT DANGER HERE, AND WE TRY TO FD THEM SAFE, SECRET HOG WHILE WAG FOR ASYLUM A SAFER UNTRY.”IBRAHIM, OM CHECHNYA, TOLD THE DAILY BEAST THAT STIMUL HAD SO FAR HELPED HIM ACQUIRE A FOREIGN PASSPORT.“I REALLY HOPE THAT THEY WILL HELP ME TO LEAVE RSIA, OTHERWISE WILL BE LERALLY THE END OF ME,” HE TOLD THE DAILY BEAST. “IF I’M ON KADYROV’S SUPPORTERS’ LISTS, SOONER OR LATER THEY’LL FD ME. KADYROV’S SUPPORTERS MAY NOT KILL ME, BUT THEY MIGHT HURT PERMANENTLY BOTH MY LIFE AND HEALTH FOREVER—THAT’S NO PROBLEM FOR THEM. I HAVE NO OTHER WAY OR CHANCE TO BE SAVED. IT IS EHER EEDOM AND LIFE—OR THEM, KADYROV’S SUPPORTERS.” DAVID (NAME HAS BEEN CHANGED): ‘I WANT TO LEAVE AND TO NOT BE AAID ANYMORE, TO NOT HI AND JT LIVE’MY NAME IS DAVID, I’M 20 YEARS OLD, I’M GAY, OM OSSETIA. I NSTANTLY HID MY ORIENTATN: IN THE CS THEY KILL FOR , SO I HAD TO PRETEND I WAS “STRAIGHT.”ON THE NIGHT OF SEPT. 25 OR 26, 2016, I WAS ATTACKED BY THREE GUYS THE CY WHERE I WAS STUDYG AT UNIVERSY.I WAS BEATEN ALL NIGHT, THREATENED TO BE KILLED OR SOLD TO SLAVERY. AFTER THREE TO FOUR HOURS OF BEATG, WHEN THERE WERE NO PLAC ON MY HEAD AND BODY LEFT TO BEAT, THEY AGREED TO LET ME GO IF I GAVE THEM MY MONEY, PHONE, AND MY LAPTOP. IN THE MORNG THEY LET ME GO, TAKG MY SNEAKERS AND JACKET OM ME.I BARELY MA TO A IEND AND ASKED FOR PERMISSN TO LIVE WH HIM. HE IMMEDIATELY AGREED AND BEGAN TO PERSUA ME TO GO TO THE POLICE OR AT LEAST TO A HOSPAL. I WAS AAID, SO FOR TWO DAYS I WAS JT LYG AT HOME. ON THE THIRD DAY HE FALLY PERSUAD ME TO GO TO THE HOSPAL. SOMEHOW WE AGREED WH THE DOCTOR NOT TO RM THE POLICE.AFTER THE BEATGS WERE RERD, I WAS PRCRIBED MEDITNS AND I WENT AGA TO MY IEND. I DID NOT SAY ANYTHG TO MY RELATIV AND FAY. ALMOST NOBODY KNEW ABOUT THIS. FOR TWO MONTHS I LIVED WH MY IEND AND DID NOT GO OUT, BEE I WAS AAID THAT THEY WOULD SEE ME AGA AND ATTACK AGA. EVEN AFTER THAT, I SHUDRED WH FEAR WHEN A R WAS PASSG BY, REMBLG THE ONE THAT THEY HAD. IN DECEMBER, MY IEND SAID THAT HE HAD A IEND THE POLICE AND PERSUAD ME TO FILE A REPORT. I AGREED. I THOUGHT WOULD ALL GO AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE AND ANONYMOLY. BUT WAS THEN THAT THE WHOLE NIGHTMARE BEGAN. THE VTIGATN DRAGGED ON FOR SIX MONTHS. MY ORIENTATN WAS KNOWN TO ALL POLICE OFFICERS, AND LATER THE MISTRY OF INTERNAL AFFAIRS.I EXPERIENCED NSTANT MOCKERY AND FEAR. FOR TERROGATNS, I ALWAYS ME AND LEFT WH AN RT. THERE WERE LLS AND MSAG OM RELATIV OF THOSE GUYS WHO BEAT ME UP AND ROBBED ME, FIRST WH REQUTS TO WHDRAW THE REPORT, LATER WH THREATS.TO BE HONT, I TRIED SEVERAL TIM TO WHDRAW THE REPORT, BUT EACH TIME I WAS EHER TOLD THAT WAS NOT ALLOWED OR DISSUAD UNR OTHER PRETEXTS. I WENT OUTSI AS RARELY AS POSSIBLE. I ALSO MISSED CLASS AT THE UNIVERSY. “I REALIZED THAT I ULD NO LONGER LIVE NSTANT FEAR FOR MY LIFE.” THE VTIGATN END AT THE END OF APRIL 2017. IN EARLY MAY, THE URT HEARGS BEGAN. I ME TO THE FIRST HEARG AND IMMEDIATELY GOT THREATENED. THE BROTHER OF ONE OF THE ACCED TRIED TO BEAT ME RIGHT THE URTROOM. THERE WAS NO REACTN OM THE OFFICERS OF THE URT. AFTER THE HEARG, THE VTIGATOR SENT POLICE OFFICERS TO BRG ME TO THE MISTRY, TO HIM. IT WAS NOT SAFE TO LEAVE THAT PLACE ALONE AND GO HOME. I REALIZED THAT I ULD NO LONGER LIVE NSTANT FEAR FOR MY LIFE. AT ANY TIME, MY RELATIV ULD LEARN ABOUT MY ORIENTATN, SO I TURNED TO THE RSIAN LGBT NETWORK FOR HELP. THEY HELPED ME TO MOVE TO ST. PETERSBURG AND HELPED WH ACMODATN AND FOOD.IN JULY, MY RELATIV LEARNED ABOUT MY SE AND MY ORIENTATN. MY UNCLE WORKS FOR THE POLICE. HE TRIED TO LOOK FOR ME. HE THOUGHT THAT I WAS STILL THE CS. MY WHO WORKED THE PROTECTN OF THE PRINT OF SOUTH OSSETIA HAS STRONG NNECTNS. HE WAS LOOKG FOR ME ST. PETERSBURG, BUT AT THAT TIME I HAD ALREADY MOVED TO ANOTHER CY.I LIMED MY MUNITN WH EVERYONE EXCEPT MY MOTHER. SHE AND MY TWO YOUNGER BROTHERS ARE THE ONLY ON WHO ACCEPTED ME. ALL MY OTHER RELATIV WANT ME AD, AND PUT PRSURE ON MY MOTHER. NOW EVERYONE THKS THAT I’M NO LONGER RSIA.MY MOTHER TOLD THEM THAT I WENT TO EUROPE. IF MY RELATIV FD OUT THAT I’M RSIA, THEY’LL START LOOKG FOR ME AGA. BIS MY RELATIV, THE RELATIV OF THE THREE GUYS ARE LOOKG FOR ME, TOO. AT THE END OF DECEMBER, I WAS ASKED TO LEAVE THE SHELTER. SCE MID-DECEMBER, STIMUL HAS HELPED ME WH HOG. FOR ABOUT SIX MONTHS I HAVE WANTED TO LEAVE, BUT BEE OF PROBLEMS WH DOCUMENTS AND FANC I STILL HAVE NOT SUCCEED.I WANT TO LEAVE AND TO NOT BE AAID ANYMORE, TO NOT HI AND JT LIVE. NOW I’M WAG FOR A VISA TO ONE OF THE EUROPEAN UNTRI, AND I HOPE THAT WH THE HELP OF STIMUL I WILL LEAVE RSIA. AMIR (CIZEN OF UZBEKISTAN; NOT HIS REAL NAME): ‘HE KNEW THAT HE ULD BE BEATEN OR EVEN KILLED IF OTHERS FOUND OUT HE WAS GAY’STIMUL WR: ON NOV. 17, 2017, AMIR, 23, WAS REFERRED TO STIMUL BY EMPLOYE OF THE UNHCR AND THE CIVIC ASSISTANCE COMMTEE (A NONPROF WHICH HELPS REFUGE AND FORCED MIGRANTS). ACRDG TO THE CIVIC ASSISTANCE LAWYER, AMIR WAS TAED AT BORR NTROL WHEN HE TRIED TO CROSS THE RSIAN BORR TO GO TO EUROPE, WHERE HIS PARTNER WAS WAG FOR HIM.AMIR DO NOT HAVE A SO-LLED STICKER (EX VISA) OR A SCHENGEN VISA HIS PASSPORT, AND THEREFORE WAS TAED BY RSIAN BORR GUARDS. FROM THE BORR ZONE HE WAS TAKEN TO THE OPERATNAL PARTMENT OF THE BORR SERVICE OF THE RSIAN FERAL SECURY SERVICE AND FED UNR ARTICLE 18.1 OF THE ADMISTRATIVE CO (VLATN OF THE STATE BORR REGIME OF THE RSIAN FERATN). “WHEN WE WATCHED TV WH MY BROTHERS AND MY IENDS, IF WE WERE TALKG ABOUT GAYS, THEY SAID THAT ALL GAYS SHOULD BE KILLED.” AMIR WAS BORN THE REGN OF SAMARKAND. HE HAS TWO BROTHERS AND A SISTER. HE HAS SELF-INTIFIED AS GAY SCE THE AGE OF 14. BEE OF PRSURE OM HIS BROTHERS, HE WAS FORCED TO DATE A GIRL FOR SIX YEARS ( SPE OF HIS SEXUAL ORIENTATN), SO THAT THE BROTHERS WOULD NOT SPECT HIM OF HOMOSEXUALY.IN AMIR’S FAY AND AMONG IENDS, WHEN THE TOPIC OF HOMOSEXUALY WAS RAISED, PEOPLE MA CLEAR TO HIM THAT THEY WOULD TAKE ANY STEPS, CLUDG MURR, IF THEY LEARNED HE WAS GAY. ACRDG TO AMIR: “WHEN WE WATCHED TV WH MY BROTHERS AND MY IENDS, IF WE WERE TALKG ABOUT GAYS, THEY SAID THAT ALL GAYS SHOULD BE KILLED.”HIS IENDS BTALLY BEAT A NEIGHBOR JT BEE THEY SPECTED HIM OF HOMOSEXUALY. THEREFORE, AMIR WAS FORCED TO “STAY THE CLOSET.” ONE DAY A IEND TOLD HIM TO BE REFUL AND WATCH HIS IENDS BEE THEY BEGAN TO SPECT HIM OF HOMOSEXUALY. AFTER THAT AMIR STARTED TO THK ABOUT LEAVG FOR RSIA, AS HE HOPED TO GET LOST THERE. EVERY DAY WAS A TRAGEDY FOR HIM: HE KNEW THAT HE ULD BE BEATEN OR EVEN KILLED IF OTHERS FOUND OUT HE WAS GAY.ON OCT. 4, 2015, AMIR LEFT UZBEKISTAN FOR MOSW. BUT MOSW HE HAD TO LIVE WH HIS UNCLE AND GAED NO EEDOM. A MONTH LATER, A IEND VED HIM TO KHABAROVSK AND GAVE HIM WORK AND SHELTER. HOWEVER, KHABAROVSK, AMIR REMAED UNR THE NTROL OF HIS FAY AND BROTHER, WHO ME AFTER AMIR AND WANTED TO NTROL THE LIFE OF HIS YOUNGER BROTHER. IN AUGT 2017, AMIR MET A FRENCHMAN ON A DATG SE. ONE DAY, HIS BROTHER SAW AMIR TALKG TO HIS NEW ACQUATANCE ON A VIO LL, TOOK HIS PHONE AWAY OM HIM, AND BTALLY BEAT HIM.HE ALSO SAID THAT IF WAS NFIRMED THAT AMIR WAS GAY, HE WOULD KILL HIM. AFTER THIS CINT, THE NEW FRENCH IEND PERSUAD AMIR THAT HE NEED TO GO TO EUROPE AND SEEK ASYLUM. AMIR NTACTED LGBT ANIZATNS RSIA AND UKRAE, WHERE HE WAS TOLD THAT HE ULD GO TO EUROPE VIA UKRAE ( FACT, THE VISA-EE SHORT-TERM ENTRY TO EU UNTRI OM UKRAE IS ONLY ALLOWED FOR CIZENS OF UKRAE). AMIR NTACTED A FRENCH LGBT ANIZATN WH A REQUT FOR HELP AND THEY REPLIED THAT THEY WOULD HELP HIM.ON NOV. 11, AMIR LEFT KHABAROVSK, AND ON NOV. 13 HE TRIED TO GET TO THE TRANS TERNATNAL ZONE MOSW WH THE GOAL OF TRAVELG TO UKRAE WHOUT HAVG A “STICKER” (EX VISA OF UZBEKISTAN) OR A SCHENGEN VISA HIS PASSPORT.AT THE BORR NTROL, AMIR WAS TAED BY THE BORR SERVICE OF THE FSB OF RSIA AND FED 2,000 BL FOR VLATG THE STATE BORR REGIME OF THE RSIAN FERATN. DURG TENTN, AMIR WAS ABLE TO LL THE DUTY OFFICER OF UNHCR, WHO PASSED THE RMATN TO THE CIVIC ASSISTANCE MIGRATN LAWYER.THE LAWYER WAS ABLE TO MAKE AN AGREEMENT WH THE DUTY OFFICERS OF THE BORR NTROL PARTMENT TO ONLY IMPOSE A FE ON AMIR WHOUT PORTG HIM OM RSIA.AFTER DRAWG UP THE PROTOL AND OBTAG A CISN TO HOLD HIM ACUNTABLE, AMIR WAS RELEASED AND TOOK A TAXI TO THE RSIAN-UKRAIAN BORR. AMIR TOLD THE RSIAN BORR OFFICERS ABOUT HIS STORY AND WAS RELEASED OM THE TERRORY OF RSIA. HOWEVER, THE UKRAIAN BORR OFFICERS REFED TO LET AMIR TO THE UNTRY, MA A NOTE THE PASSPORT ON THE PROHIBN OF ENTRY TO UKRAE, AND SENT HIM BACK TO RSIA.RSIAN BORR OFFICERS REFED TO LET AMIR TO RSIA. AMIR WAS AGA TAED BY BORR OFFICERS, HE AGA NTACTED THE DUTY OFFICER OF UNHCR, AND THE CIVIC ASSISTANCE MIGRATN LAWYER MANAGED TO GET PERMISSN FOR AMIR TO RETURN TO RSIA.AFTER AMIR RETURNED TO MOSW, CIVIC ASSISTANCE NTACTED STIMUL WH A REQUT FOR ASSISTANCE PROVIDG TEMPORARY HOG FOR HIM. SCE NOV. 17, AMIR HAS BEEN UNR THE RE OF OUR ANIZATN. AFTER NDUCTG TERVIEWS AND CHECKG THE FACTS TO NFIRM THE EXISTENCE OF A REAL DANGER TO THE LIFE AND HEALTH OF AMIR, WE ME TO THE NCLN THAT AMIR NEED THE FASTT EVACUATN OM RSIA.ON FEB. 9 HE RECEIVED A MIGRATN VISA TO EUROPE. DUE TO THE ABSENCE OF THE SO-LLED STICKER (AN UZBEK EX VISA) AMIR’S PASSPORT, STIMUL GAVE AMIR TECHNIL ASSISTANCE CROSSG THE RSIAN BORR AND ONE OF OUR EMPLOYE ACPANIED AMIR TO EUROPE.ON FEB. 12, 2018, AMIR LEFT RSIA AND ARRIVED EUROPE, WHERE HE IS NOW UNR THE RE OF A FRENCH LGBT ANIZATN AND HIS IEND. TIM TEEMAN

'ANY DAY YOU N BE TAKEN': INSI WHAT 'S LIKE TO BE GAY CHECHNYA

"Ricky's oral was mid-2018 and was a faiar early 2017, the world had beme aware of reports that Chechen thori were roundg up and torturg dozens of men they spected of beg gay, what me to be known as a "gay purge". The nam of most of those terviewed have been changed at their requt out of ncern the Chechen thori or their fai might harm acunts pat a picture of a place where there is now virtually no space to be gay, where datg rri potentially lethal nsequenc and the supprsn of their inty is obligatory for LGBT people.

He has done that, g allegedly savage methods, and the procs Kadyrov has remolled Chechnya around himself, erectg a police state and a cult of personaly built around an obssive machismo centered on sport, particularly martial the majory-Mlim regn, wh a eply nservative culture, beg gay was never accepted. "In 2017, that nservative hostily to homosexualy seemed to nvert to anised terror, part of a broar nservative mpaign that has also targeted dg and alhol Dzhabrailov, 27, only the send man to e forward publicly about his tentn 2017, told ABC News that armed police took him om the hair salon where he was workg. For 14 days, he said, he was held a basement wh several other gay men, taken out for torture ssns, where he was electrocuted and subjected to a mock Dzhabrailov tells ABC News'' Jam Longman the torture and terrogatn he says he endured at the hands of Chechen News"They put me on the wall, put bag on my head, " he remembered.

Aluadov, who was also sanctned 2013 by the Uned Stat over the same se as Ddov, claimed the gay men allegg torture were simply seekg asylum the Wt or that they themselv were likely not Chechens. Insi, Aluadov showed the reporters the empty cells, which were clean and looked rarely ed, as though mostly sisted he uldn't nceive how a Chechen man uld be gay and said was not him but Chechen society that will not tolerate gay men. Victims have repeatedly scribed beg hand back over to their fai wh a suggtn that they kill them themselv and many of speakg anonymoly said they feared their relativ would harm them if they found such circumstanc, discsg homosexualy, let alone g out is impossible.

NO END TO CHECHNYA’S VLENT ANTI-GAY CAMPAIGN

He eventually sought asylum , a bisexual man livg the neighborg republic of Dagtan, where attus are very siar to Chechnya, had a wife and a 1-year-old baby when he said his life was men lured him to an apartment where they beat him and forced him to adm he was gay on mera. 'It’s harr for women bee they n’t leave'Many LGBT Chechens lk the eptn of more systematic vlence the past few years to a worseng atmosphere of homophobia Rsia, signaled by the passg of the notor so-lled "anti-gay propaganda" law law, which effectively banned public displays of homosexualy, has been cricized by rights groups as green-lightg discrimatn and vlence agast LGBT over Rsia, gay people reported creased hostily. The Rsian LGBT Network has reported that May 2021, Chechen-speakg men abducted Ibragim Selimkhanov Mosw and forcibly returned him to Chechnya’s pal Grozny, where thori terrogated him about gay people the regn.

“Wele to Chechnya: Insi the Rsian Republic’s Deadly War on Gays, ” which premiered at the Sundance Ftival January and airs on HBO next week, is one of the most harrowg films I have ever seen.

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

“Image the 21st century, a supposedly secular untry, ” says David Isteev, at the start of this acclaimed documentary, “you have s where people are killed simply bee they are homosexual — where they are maimed, where the fai of the people are urged to kill their children and siblgs. “Wele to Chechnya” follows Isteev, emergency program ordator for the Rsian LGBT Network, and his fellow activists as they risk their liv tryg to protect gay Chechens om beg targeted both by the thori and their own fai.

CHECHEN MEN DCRIBE HOW THEY WERE TORTURED FOR BEG GAY

“We documented a large-sle, vic, anti-gay purge” marked by “torture, enforced disappearanc, and extrajudicial killgs, ” Tanya Loksha, the Rsia program director at Human Rights Watch, told me a phone terview om Mosw.

For David France, the award-wng director of “Wele to Chechnya, ” mak no sense to talk of a “first” or a “send” purge, as is all part of a sgle ongog mpaign of persecutn agast gay Chechens.

As Human Rights Watch has noted, the Rsian republic “is a highly nservative, tradnal Mlim society; homophobia is tense and rampant, and homosexualy is generally viewed as a sta on fay honor. “If there’s no punishment, ” says an exhsted-lookg Isteev toward the end of the film, “if LGBT people are regard as subhuman, if you n do anythg to them, means that tomorrow, anyone n fd themselv the sho of gay Chechens. MOSCOW — Two men om Chechnya have told Rters they were taed by police and subjected to torture and beatgs bee they were gay, which is nsired a crime by some their eply nservative regn of two have sce fled maly Mlim Chechnya, but they still fear beg hunted down and persecuted.

JOURNALIST WHO UNVERED CHECHNYA’S ANTI-GAY PURGE ATTACKED

His spokman has said there uld be no attacks on gay men bee there were no such people Rsian newspaper Novaya Gazeta reported April that thori Chechnya had round up over 100 gay men or men believed to be gay and tortured them.

DETAED, TORTURED, KILLED: HOW CHECHNYA CRACKED DOWN ON GAYS

A monstrator holrs a plard pictg Rsian print Vladimir Put wh the label 'Stop Homophobia', to nounce the anti-gay mpaign lnched the Rsian provce of Chechnya, durg a prott held on Place la Republique Paris on April 20, 2017.

Ian Langsdon / EPAKreml crics regard the report as further evince that Mosw allows thori Chechnya to n the regn -- which has been nsumed by two wars sce the 1991 distegratn of the Soviet Unn -- as a fdal fiefdom exchange for keepg separatist and radil Islamist sentiment send Chechen man, who gave his name as Ramzan, said he had been taed by police April and told to give the nam, addrs and work plac of his gay ntacts. Ambassador to the Uned Natns Nikki Haley to nmn the kidnap and torture of gay and bisexual men Rsia-ntrolled @nikkihaley to nmn Chechen ’t attacks on LGBTQ men & vtigate reported ncentratn mps.

Milasha also faced tense backlash and threats 2017 after first breakg the news of the Chechen ernment’s crackdown on men and women who were eher gay or genr-nonnformg the Mlim-majory regn of the Cc.

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

Milasha ially reported on more than 100 Chechens — primarily gay men — who were arrted and taed makhift prisons and ncentratn mps, where they were often subjected to torture and asked to name other people whom they knew to be gay.

GAY PEOPLE CHECHNYA DPERATELY NEED THE WORLD'S HELP

Upon beg released, survivors of the makhift tentn centers reported that thori enuraged their fai to take matters to their own hands and perform “honor killgs” of relativ spected to be gay.

The crackdown seemed like somethg out of the Stalist-era reprsns: over 100 gay men btally taed — and at least three killed — Chechnya, perhaps Rsia’s most nservative and thorarian Chechens were antilly closg their social media and msenger acunts out of fear that the onle muni had been filtrated by the lol secury servic, the Novaya Gazeta newspaper, which broke the story, if a person ptured the crackdown was released due to an absence of evince, he often faced another risk: a so-lled honor killg at the hands of relativ seekg to wash the shame of beg gay om their fay.

“We have only found the tip of the iceberg, ” says Yekatera Sokirianskaya, the Internatnal Crisis Group’s North Cs project bad to worseBeg gay Chechnya was never easy — even before the crackdown.

ONLY FIVE UNTRI ARE HELPG GAY CHECHENS LEAVE RSIA

As more rmatn flowed om different lol ntacts, the rights fenrs beme nvced that the tentns were a mass pat a grim picture of the suatn: The secury forc pture spected gay men, take them to secret prisons, and torture them to get rmatn on other gay men. Gays Chechnya live extremely secretive liv, hidg their inti om virtually everyone, says Ksenia Leonova, a journalist who spent a month livg Grozny, the Chechen pal, and wrote one of the few acunts of Chechen gay her 2013 report, a Chechen gay man referred to as Umar relled how one of his iends sudnly felt the macho “stirrg wh him” and lled him a homophobic slur.

“There’s no pot gettg worked up about , bee he really n’t help , ” Umar told anecdote emphasiz the gree to which, Chechnya, beg gay remas a taboo subject even among Chechen gays themselv, Leonova mak vtigatg the reprsn of gays Chechnya — and helpg the muny — a particular challenge. Wh the troublg news g form the Rsian occupied terrory of Chechnya about the roundg up of gay men and the ncentratn mps is very important for the ternatnal muny to gather and let the Rsian thori know they nnot m acts like this. • Carry 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;.

THE TREATMENT OF THE GAY MUNY CHECHNYA

Mr Gay Ireland Activists have also created a petn onle entled Irish Une Agast Chechen Camps, which is llg on the: “Irish ernment to rpect human rights laws by takg a stand agast the vlent persecutn” of LGBT people  Chechnya. 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. 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.

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. ” 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.

LGBT, TERRIFIED FOR THEIR LIV RSIA, AND DPERATE FOR ASYLUMHEROTHE RSIAN-BASED ANIZATN STIMUL OFFERS SAFE PLAC TO LIVE AND ASYLUM ADVOCY FOR LGBT PEOPLE FLEEG LIFE-THREATENG SUATNS HOMOPHOBIC CENTRAL ASIAN UNTRI.TIM TEEMANSENR EDOR AND WRERUPDATED FEB. 26, 2020 6:46PM EST / PUBLISHED JUN. 01, 2018 4:41AM EDT GETTYWHEN HE WAS 15, HIS FAY FOUND OUT THAT IBRAHIM (NOT HIS REAL NAME) WAS GAY.IN A WRTEN TTIMONY, THE NOW 20-YEAR-OLD CHECHEN RELLED TO THE DAILY BEAST THAT OM THAT MOMENT ON, LOL MULLAHS AND “OLD WIV” (FAH HEALERS AND LOL WOMEN REPUTED TO BE WCH) “TRIED TO ‘TREAT’ ME FOR MY HOMOSEXUALY.”HE RELLED THE “TREATMENTS” GRAPHIC TAIL. “THEIR ABHORRENT ACTNS—BLOODLETTG (WHEN THE SK IS BROKEN OFF WH THE HELP OF A MEDIL JAR], HERBS (AFTER WHICH I HAD HALLUCATNS, NSEA, STOMACH PAS), STRONG PRSURE ON THE PAFUL POTS OF THE BODY, AND WHAT WAS EVEN MORE TERRIBLE—THE ELECTRIC SHOCKS ONTO THE PENIS. THERE WERE ALSO SOME ‘SPELLS’ OR NASHIDAS (THOUGH TO NO EFFECT). THE ALL EXHSTED ME. IT WENT ON AND OFF FOR MONTHS TILL I TURNED 18.”IBRAHIM IS ALL RIGHT, FOR NOW, HAVG PED CHECHNYA. HE IS LIVG UNR THE RE OF STIMUL, A RSIAN LGBT ANIZATN STAFFED BY SIX ACTIVISTS THAT, AMONG S OTHER WORK, ARRANG SAFE HOG AND ADVICE AND ADVOCY LARGE RSIAN CI FOR VULNERABLE LGBT PEOPLE SEEKG ASYLUM OM CENTRAL ASIAN UNTRI LIKE AFGHANISTAN, UZBEKISTAN, AND TAJIKISTAN, AS WELL AS CHECHNYA, WHERE HOMOSEXUALY IS NOT ONLY AGAST THE LAW—EXCEPT TAJIKISTAN—BUT WHERE LGBT PEOPLE ARE ALSO VICLY PERSECUTED. IN APRIL LAST YEAR, TERNATNAL OUTRAGE FOLLOWED REPORTS THAT HUNDREDS OF GAY MEN HAD BEEN TAED AND TORTURED, AND SOME KILLED, BY CHECHEN THORI.ULTIMATELY, STIMUL AIMS TO SUCCSFULLY PLACE LGBT PEOPLE FACG PERSECUTN LIKE IBRAHIM SEEKG ASYLUM EUROPEAN UNTRI, THE U.S., AND CANADA.AFTER HE TURNED 18, IBRAHIM SAID HIS PARENTS, NTS, AND OTHER RELATIV GOT ED TO HIM BEG GAY “AND BEGAN TO TREAT ME LIGHTER, ACCEPTED, SO TO SAY. BUT MY VISS TO THE ‘HEALERS’ DIDN’T END. NOT AS OFTEN, BUT I VISED THEM, BEE MY PARENTS STILL HOPED THAT HOMOSEXUALY WOULD PASS, OR OTHER WORDS, ‘HEAL.’” HE FACED EVEN GRAVER PROBLEMS WHEN HIS EX-BOYIEND, A SUPPORTER OF CHECHEN LEAR RAMZAN KADYROV, TOLD IBRAHIM THAT HE WAS ON THE LIST OF GAY MEN THE THORI WERE LOOKG FOR.“I LEARNED ABOUT THIS LIST LATER, WHEN RMATN APPEARED THAT KADYROV’S SUPPORTERS AND THE LOL POLICE WERE LOOKG FOR GAYS CHECHNYA, ACRDG TO PILED LISTS.” IF THE MEN WERE FOUND, IBRAHIM HEARD, THEY WERE TAED, KEPT SECRET PRISONS, AND TORTURED.THOSE GAY MEN WERE TOLD BY THEIR PTORS ABOUT OTHER GAY MEN, AND THEN GIVEN BACK TO RELATIV, “IF THEY HADN’T ALREADY TORTURED THEM TO ATH. AFTER THAT, THERE IS NO RMATN ABOUT THE GUYS: WHETHER THEY ARE ALIVE OR NOT. MOST LIKELY, THEIR RELATIV SECRETLY KILLED THEM (‘MURRS OF HONOR’) AND FOT ABOUT THEM ONCE AND FOR ALL.“I DID NOT HAVE TIME TO ASK MY BOYIEND ANY QUTNS. HE TURNED HIS PHONE OFF AND DISAPPEARED. AFTER THIS LL, I REALIZED THAT HE CHANGED HIS NUMBER.”IBRAHIM PACKED WHAT HE ULD AND FLED OM GROZNY, TURNG TO HELP OM THE RSIAN LGBT NETWORK, WHERE THERE WAS A PROGRAM TO HELP LGBT PEOPLE FLEEG CHECHNYA. (THAT ANIZATN AND THE MOSW LGBT COMMUNY CENTER, AS REPORTED BY MASHA GSEN THE NEW YORKER, HAS SAVED THE LIV OF MORE THAN 100 CHECHEN GAY MEN.) THEN IBRAHIM FOUND STIMUL.THE ANIZATN, WHICH PENDS ON DONATNS, WAS FOUND 2015 AS A GENERAL LGBT ADVICE AND ADVOCY ANIZATN. SCE JUNE 2017, HAS ALSO PROVID SAFE SHELTER AND LEGAL HELP AND ASSISTANCE TO THOSE SEEKG SAFETY RSIA, AND THEN ASYLUM ELSEWHERE. YURI GUAIANA, SENR MPAIGNS MANAGER OF THE TERNATNAL LGBT ADVOCY ANIZATN ALL OUT, TOLD THE DAILY BEAST LGBT THAT PEOPLE OM CENTRAL ASIA AND CHECHNYA WERE FACG “A TERRIBLE SUATN, THE LEVEL OF DISCRIMATN AND PERSECUTN IS SO HIGH.”THEY NEED THE SAFETY AND PROTECTN THAT STIMUL OFFERS, GUAIANA ADD (ALL OUT IS CURRENTLY PARTNERG A FUNDRAISG DRIVE FOR THE ANIZATN).TWO OF STIMUL’S CLIENTS ARE NOW SAFE EUROPEAN UNTRI, AND THREE ARE AWAG FAL APPROVAL OF DOCUMENTATN. ANDREI PETROV, THE HEAD OF STIMUL, AND ANTON RYZHOV, A LAWYER FOR THE ANIZATN WHO TRANSLATED PETROV’S WORDS, SAID THAT ABOUT 20 PEOPLE HAD NTACTED STIMUL FOR HELP SCE LAST SUMMER. THE NUMBERS OF THOSE SEEKG ASYLUM OM SUCH UNTRI ARE CREASG, THE MEN SAID. “THE MOST SURPRISG, SHOCKG THGS ARE THE STORI ABOUT TORTURE, AND FORCED ‘CUR’ OF HOMOSEXUALY.”— ANDREI PETROV, HEAD OF STIMUL RSIA SELF IS A NOTABLY UNSAFE PLACE FOR LGBT PEOPLE; HATE CRIM AGAST LGBT PEOPLE HAVE DOUBLED THERE THE LAST FIVE YEARS. AS REPORTED THIS WEEK, ANTI-GAY AND RACIST SOCCER CHANTS HAVE CREASED THE N-UP TO THE WORLD CUP, WHICH RSIA IS HOSTG.“WE DON’T HAVE ANY ERNMENTAL SUPPORT,” SAID PETROV OF STIMUL’S WORK. “AS FOR THE LEVEL OF DANGERS, AS FOR THE LEVEL OF THREATS, WE THK ’S THE SAME AS FOR ANY NGO IS RSIA, NOT JT FOR AN LGBT ANIZATN, BUT HUMAN RIGHTS FENRS. WE ARE UNR THIS NSTANT THREAT, BUT LUCKILY NO SER ATTACKS HAVE BEEN MA ON .“THE ATTU OF SOCIETY TO LGBT PEOPLE AND THE S IS STILL VERY HOMOPHOBIC. BUT WHERE ONCE THERE WERE NO LGBT ANIZATNS, NOW THERE ARE THREE. THAT’S POSIVE, AS IS THE SUPPORT WE GET OM OTHER HUMAN RIGHTS ANIZATNS HERE.”GUAIANA LLED THE ACTIVISTS OF STIMUL “EXTREMELY BRAVE.”THE ANIZATN NNECTS S CLIENTS WH THE UN REFUGEE AGENCY (UNHCR) AND THE EMBASSI OF WELG EUROPEAN UNTRI.“THE MOST SURPRISG, SHOCKG THGS ARE THE STORI ABOUT TORTURE, AND FORCED ‘CUR’ OF HOMOSEXUALY,” SAID PETROV. “IT IS NOT LIKE HOW THGS ARE CIVILIZED UNTRI, AND EVEN FOR RSIA IS RATHER SHOCKG.” ONE RECENT APPLITN WAS OM A YOUNG MAN OM TAJIKISTAN. AFTER HIS PARENTS DISVERED HE WAS GAY, THEY VED A REPRENTATIVE OM THE LOL MOSQUE TO “CHANT SOME SPELLS” OVER THEIR SON. THE YOUNG MAN WAS TOLD TO SPEND ONE MONTH A CLOSED ROOM WH NO MUNITN WH ANYONE ELSE. HE GOT OUT.ANOTHER YOUNG WOMAN WHO NTACTED STIMUL SAID SHE WAS A LBIAN WHO HAD BEEN FORCIBLY MARRIED TO A YOUNG MAN. “NOW SHE’S NSTANTLY BEATEN BY HIM AND RAPED BY HIM, AND SHE IS STILL SUCH A MARRIAGE. WE ARE TRYG TO HELP HER SOMEHOW,” SAID PETROV.RYZHOV WORKED CHECHNYA FOR MORE THAN SEVEN YEARS AS A HUMAN RIGHTS ADVOTE, NOT ALG WH LGBT S SPECIFILLY BUT MORE GENERALLY ABDUCTN AND TORTURE S VOLVG LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCI. THE STATE THORI DO NOT VTIGATE ALLEGATNS OF BTALY, AND PEOPLE ARE TOO AAID TO REPORT SUCH ALLEGATNS TO THEM, HE TOLD THE DAILY BEAST.THE HIGHLY PUBLICIZED LGBT PERSECUTN LAST YEAR CHECHNYA HAS NOW RECED, RYZHOV SAID, ALTHOUGH LGBT PEOPLE REMA UNR “NSTANT THREAT” THERE. THE CHECHEN THORI LNCH “WAV OF PROPAGANDA” AIMED AT GROUPS AS DISPARATE AS LGBT PEOPLE, DG ERS, ALHOLICS, AND MEMBERS OF ISIS, HE ADD—GROUPS THAT FOR VERY DIFFERENT REASONS ARE SEEN AS “DANGERO AND APPROPRIATE, AND MT BE ELIMATED PHYSILLY OR BY SOME OTHER MEANS.”IN MAY 2017, GUAIANA WAS ARRTED MOSW ALONG WH FOUR OTHER ACTIVISTS. THEY WERE ATTEMPTG TO HAND A 2 LN-SIGNATURE PETN ASKG THE RSIAN THORI TO VTIGATE WHAT HAD HAPPENED CHECHNYA.ASKED IF ANY OF THE UNTRI STIMUL HAD CLIENTS OM WERE AS BAD AS CHECHNYA FOR LGBT PEOPLE, PETROV REPLIED, “UZBEKISTAN. THERE, LGBT PEOPLE ARE ARRTED AND PUT PRISON. THE POLICE DO THE SAME KDS OF RAIDS AND MPAIGNS. THERE IS PHYSIL VLENCE SI PRISONS TOO.”THE MOSW TIM REPORTED THAT ACTG JTICE MISTER ALEXANR KONOVALOV TOLD THE UN HUMAN RIGHTS COUNCIL MID-MAY, “THE VTIGATNS THAT WE RRIED OUT [...] DID NOT NFIRM EVINCE OF RIGHTS’ VLATNS, NOR WERE WE EVEN ABLE TO FD REPRENTATIV OF THE LGBT MUNY CHECHNYA... PLEASE, HELP DO THIS AND FD THEM.”KONOVALOV SAID ACCATNS OF DISCRIMATN RSIA WERE EHER “LACKG NCRETE EVINCE” OR “NOT AT ALL RELATED TO THEIR [VICTIMS’] POLIL BELIEFS, SEXUAL ORIENTATN, RELIG VIEWS AND SO ON.” “THE ONLY POSIVE THG IS THAT THE APPLINTS HAVE TAKEN THE CISN TO FIGHT FOR THEIR LIV. THEY ULDN’T HI THEMSELV, SO THEY CID TO TRY TO PROTECT THEIR RIGHTS.”— ANDREI PETROV, HEAD OF STIMUL PETROV SAID THE SUATN FOR STIMUL’S CLIENTS WAS NOT GETTG BETTER ANY OF THE CENTRAL ASIAN UNTRI ALS WH. “WE N’T SEE ANY POSIVE CHANG, WE DON’T SEE ANY LIGHT SUCH ATTUS TO LGBT PEOPLE THE UNTRI,” SAID PETROV. “THE ONLY POSIVE THG IS THAT THE APPLINTS HAVE TAKEN THE CISN TO FIGHT FOR THEIR LIV. THEY ULDN’T HI THEMSELV, SO THEY CID TO TRY TO PROTECT THEIR RIGHTS. TO EVEN GO TO HUMAN RIGHTS FENRS, TAK A HUGE URAGE TO TALK, TO TELL YOUR STORY. SOMETIM YOU NEED TO LODGE OFFICIAL DOCUMENTS WH EMBASSI, OR THE CRIMAL LAW THORI.”WHEN THE APPLINTS REACH STIMUL, SOME NEED URGENT PSYCHOLOGIL HELP PENDG ON WHAT THEY HAVE ENDURED. “SOME ARE NSTANT STRS,” SAID PETROV. “YOU NTUE TO BE NSTANT THREAT. RSIA N EXPEL YOU BACK TO YOUR NATIVE UNTRY.” HE CED THE SE OF ALI FEZ, A GAY JOURNALIST FOR NOVAYA GAZETA WHOM THE MOSW THORI WISHED TO PORT BACK TO UZBEKISTAN BUT WHO EVENTUALLY FOUND SANCTUARY GERMANY, THANKS TO THE TERVENTN OF THE EUROPEAN COURT OF HUMAN RIGHTS. “RSIA IS NOT A SAFE PLACE FOR THE PEOPLE,” SAID PETROV. “IT IS AN TERMEDIATE PLACE TO STAY BEFORE GOG TO A SAFER PLACE EUROPE. THE LGBT PEOPLE ARE LIFE-THREATENG SUATNS. LIFE RSIA ISN’T SAFE FOR THEM. LGBT PEOPLE ARE NSTANT DANGER HERE, AND WE TRY TO FD THEM SAFE, SECRET HOG WHILE WAG FOR ASYLUM A SAFER UNTRY.”IBRAHIM, OM CHECHNYA, TOLD THE DAILY BEAST THAT STIMUL HAD SO FAR HELPED HIM ACQUIRE A FOREIGN PASSPORT.“I REALLY HOPE THAT THEY WILL HELP ME TO LEAVE RSIA, OTHERWISE WILL BE LERALLY THE END OF ME,” HE TOLD THE DAILY BEAST. “IF I’M ON KADYROV’S SUPPORTERS’ LISTS, SOONER OR LATER THEY’LL FD ME. KADYROV’S SUPPORTERS MAY NOT KILL ME, BUT THEY MIGHT HURT PERMANENTLY BOTH MY LIFE AND HEALTH FOREVER—THAT’S NO PROBLEM FOR THEM. I HAVE NO OTHER WAY OR CHANCE TO BE SAVED. IT IS EHER EEDOM AND LIFE—OR THEM, KADYROV’S SUPPORTERS.” DAVID (NAME HAS BEEN CHANGED): ‘I WANT TO LEAVE AND TO NOT BE AAID ANYMORE, TO NOT HI AND JT LIVE’MY NAME IS DAVID, I’M 20 YEARS OLD, I’M GAY, OM OSSETIA. I NSTANTLY HID MY ORIENTATN: IN THE CS THEY KILL FOR , SO I HAD TO PRETEND I WAS “STRAIGHT.”ON THE NIGHT OF SEPT. 25 OR 26, 2016, I WAS ATTACKED BY THREE GUYS THE CY WHERE I WAS STUDYG AT UNIVERSY.I WAS BEATEN ALL NIGHT, THREATENED TO BE KILLED OR SOLD TO SLAVERY. AFTER THREE TO FOUR HOURS OF BEATG, WHEN THERE WERE NO PLAC ON MY HEAD AND BODY LEFT TO BEAT, THEY AGREED TO LET ME GO IF I GAVE THEM MY MONEY, PHONE, AND MY LAPTOP. IN THE MORNG THEY LET ME GO, TAKG MY SNEAKERS AND JACKET OM ME.I BARELY MA TO A IEND AND ASKED FOR PERMISSN TO LIVE WH HIM. HE IMMEDIATELY AGREED AND BEGAN TO PERSUA ME TO GO TO THE POLICE OR AT LEAST TO A HOSPAL. I WAS AAID, SO FOR TWO DAYS I WAS JT LYG AT HOME. ON THE THIRD DAY HE FALLY PERSUAD ME TO GO TO THE HOSPAL. SOMEHOW WE AGREED WH THE DOCTOR NOT TO RM THE POLICE.AFTER THE BEATGS WERE RERD, I WAS PRCRIBED MEDITNS AND I WENT AGA TO MY IEND. I DID NOT SAY ANYTHG TO MY RELATIV AND FAY. ALMOST NOBODY KNEW ABOUT THIS. FOR TWO MONTHS I LIVED WH MY IEND AND DID NOT GO OUT, BEE I WAS AAID THAT THEY WOULD SEE ME AGA AND ATTACK AGA. EVEN AFTER THAT, I SHUDRED WH FEAR WHEN A R WAS PASSG BY, REMBLG THE ONE THAT THEY HAD. IN DECEMBER, MY IEND SAID THAT HE HAD A IEND THE POLICE AND PERSUAD ME TO FILE A REPORT. I AGREED. I THOUGHT WOULD ALL GO AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE AND ANONYMOLY. BUT WAS THEN THAT THE WHOLE NIGHTMARE BEGAN. THE VTIGATN DRAGGED ON FOR SIX MONTHS. MY ORIENTATN WAS KNOWN TO ALL POLICE OFFICERS, AND LATER THE MISTRY OF INTERNAL AFFAIRS.I EXPERIENCED NSTANT MOCKERY AND FEAR. FOR TERROGATNS, I ALWAYS ME AND LEFT WH AN RT. THERE WERE LLS AND MSAG OM RELATIV OF THOSE GUYS WHO BEAT ME UP AND ROBBED ME, FIRST WH REQUTS TO WHDRAW THE REPORT, LATER WH THREATS.TO BE HONT, I TRIED SEVERAL TIM TO WHDRAW THE REPORT, BUT EACH TIME I WAS EHER TOLD THAT WAS NOT ALLOWED OR DISSUAD UNR OTHER PRETEXTS. I WENT OUTSI AS RARELY AS POSSIBLE. I ALSO MISSED CLASS AT THE UNIVERSY. “I REALIZED THAT I ULD NO LONGER LIVE NSTANT FEAR FOR MY LIFE.” THE VTIGATN END AT THE END OF APRIL 2017. IN EARLY MAY, THE URT HEARGS BEGAN. I ME TO THE FIRST HEARG AND IMMEDIATELY GOT THREATENED. THE BROTHER OF ONE OF THE ACCED TRIED TO BEAT ME RIGHT THE URTROOM. THERE WAS NO REACTN OM THE OFFICERS OF THE URT. AFTER THE HEARG, THE VTIGATOR SENT POLICE OFFICERS TO BRG ME TO THE MISTRY, TO HIM. IT WAS NOT SAFE TO LEAVE THAT PLACE ALONE AND GO HOME. I REALIZED THAT I ULD NO LONGER LIVE NSTANT FEAR FOR MY LIFE. AT ANY TIME, MY RELATIV ULD LEARN ABOUT MY ORIENTATN, SO I TURNED TO THE RSIAN LGBT NETWORK FOR HELP. THEY HELPED ME TO MOVE TO ST. PETERSBURG AND HELPED WH ACMODATN AND FOOD.IN JULY, MY RELATIV LEARNED ABOUT MY SE AND MY ORIENTATN. MY UNCLE WORKS FOR THE POLICE. HE TRIED TO LOOK FOR ME. HE THOUGHT THAT I WAS STILL THE CS. MY WHO WORKED THE PROTECTN OF THE PRINT OF SOUTH OSSETIA HAS STRONG NNECTNS. HE WAS LOOKG FOR ME ST. PETERSBURG, BUT AT THAT TIME I HAD ALREADY MOVED TO ANOTHER CY.I LIMED MY MUNITN WH EVERYONE EXCEPT MY MOTHER. SHE AND MY TWO YOUNGER BROTHERS ARE THE ONLY ON WHO ACCEPTED ME. ALL MY OTHER RELATIV WANT ME AD, AND PUT PRSURE ON MY MOTHER. NOW EVERYONE THKS THAT I’M NO LONGER RSIA.MY MOTHER TOLD THEM THAT I WENT TO EUROPE. IF MY RELATIV FD OUT THAT I’M RSIA, THEY’LL START LOOKG FOR ME AGA. BIS MY RELATIV, THE RELATIV OF THE THREE GUYS ARE LOOKG FOR ME, TOO. AT THE END OF DECEMBER, I WAS ASKED TO LEAVE THE SHELTER. SCE MID-DECEMBER, STIMUL HAS HELPED ME WH HOG. FOR ABOUT SIX MONTHS I HAVE WANTED TO LEAVE, BUT BEE OF PROBLEMS WH DOCUMENTS AND FANC I STILL HAVE NOT SUCCEED.I WANT TO LEAVE AND TO NOT BE AAID ANYMORE, TO NOT HI AND JT LIVE. NOW I’M WAG FOR A VISA TO ONE OF THE EUROPEAN UNTRI, AND I HOPE THAT WH THE HELP OF STIMUL I WILL LEAVE RSIA. AMIR (CIZEN OF UZBEKISTAN; NOT HIS REAL NAME): ‘HE KNEW THAT HE ULD BE BEATEN OR EVEN KILLED IF OTHERS FOUND OUT HE WAS GAY’STIMUL WR: ON NOV. 17, 2017, AMIR, 23, WAS REFERRED TO STIMUL BY EMPLOYE OF THE UNHCR AND THE CIVIC ASSISTANCE COMMTEE (A NONPROF WHICH HELPS REFUGE AND FORCED MIGRANTS). ACRDG TO THE CIVIC ASSISTANCE LAWYER, AMIR WAS TAED AT BORR NTROL WHEN HE TRIED TO CROSS THE RSIAN BORR TO GO TO EUROPE, WHERE HIS PARTNER WAS WAG FOR HIM.AMIR DO NOT HAVE A SO-LLED STICKER (EX VISA) OR A SCHENGEN VISA HIS PASSPORT, AND THEREFORE WAS TAED BY RSIAN BORR GUARDS. FROM THE BORR ZONE HE WAS TAKEN TO THE OPERATNAL PARTMENT OF THE BORR SERVICE OF THE RSIAN FERAL SECURY SERVICE AND FED UNR ARTICLE 18.1 OF THE ADMISTRATIVE CO (VLATN OF THE STATE BORR REGIME OF THE RSIAN FERATN). “WHEN WE WATCHED TV WH MY BROTHERS AND MY IENDS, IF WE WERE TALKG ABOUT GAYS, THEY SAID THAT ALL GAYS SHOULD BE KILLED.” AMIR WAS BORN THE REGN OF SAMARKAND. HE HAS TWO BROTHERS AND A SISTER. HE HAS SELF-INTIFIED AS GAY SCE THE AGE OF 14. BEE OF PRSURE OM HIS BROTHERS, HE WAS FORCED TO DATE A GIRL FOR SIX YEARS ( SPE OF HIS SEXUAL ORIENTATN), SO THAT THE BROTHERS WOULD NOT SPECT HIM OF HOMOSEXUALY.IN AMIR’S FAY AND AMONG IENDS, WHEN THE TOPIC OF HOMOSEXUALY WAS RAISED, PEOPLE MA CLEAR TO HIM THAT THEY WOULD TAKE ANY STEPS, CLUDG MURR, IF THEY LEARNED HE WAS GAY. ACRDG TO AMIR: “WHEN WE WATCHED TV WH MY BROTHERS AND MY IENDS, IF WE WERE TALKG ABOUT GAYS, THEY SAID THAT ALL GAYS SHOULD BE KILLED.”HIS IENDS BTALLY BEAT A NEIGHBOR JT BEE THEY SPECTED HIM OF HOMOSEXUALY. THEREFORE, AMIR WAS FORCED TO “STAY THE CLOSET.” ONE DAY A IEND TOLD HIM TO BE REFUL AND WATCH HIS IENDS BEE THEY BEGAN TO SPECT HIM OF HOMOSEXUALY. AFTER THAT AMIR STARTED TO THK ABOUT LEAVG FOR RSIA, AS HE HOPED TO GET LOST THERE. EVERY DAY WAS A TRAGEDY FOR HIM: HE KNEW THAT HE ULD BE BEATEN OR EVEN KILLED IF OTHERS FOUND OUT HE WAS GAY.ON OCT. 4, 2015, AMIR LEFT UZBEKISTAN FOR MOSW. BUT MOSW HE HAD TO LIVE WH HIS UNCLE AND GAED NO EEDOM. A MONTH LATER, A IEND VED HIM TO KHABAROVSK AND GAVE HIM WORK AND SHELTER. HOWEVER, KHABAROVSK, AMIR REMAED UNR THE NTROL OF HIS FAY AND BROTHER, WHO ME AFTER AMIR AND WANTED TO NTROL THE LIFE OF HIS YOUNGER BROTHER. IN AUGT 2017, AMIR MET A FRENCHMAN ON A DATG SE. ONE DAY, HIS BROTHER SAW AMIR TALKG TO HIS NEW ACQUATANCE ON A VIO LL, TOOK HIS PHONE AWAY OM HIM, AND BTALLY BEAT HIM.HE ALSO SAID THAT IF WAS NFIRMED THAT AMIR WAS GAY, HE WOULD KILL HIM. AFTER THIS CINT, THE NEW FRENCH IEND PERSUAD AMIR THAT HE NEED TO GO TO EUROPE AND SEEK ASYLUM. AMIR NTACTED LGBT ANIZATNS RSIA AND UKRAE, WHERE HE WAS TOLD THAT HE ULD GO TO EUROPE VIA UKRAE ( FACT, THE VISA-EE SHORT-TERM ENTRY TO EU UNTRI OM UKRAE IS ONLY ALLOWED FOR CIZENS OF UKRAE). AMIR NTACTED A FRENCH LGBT ANIZATN WH A REQUT FOR HELP AND THEY REPLIED THAT THEY WOULD HELP HIM.ON NOV. 11, AMIR LEFT KHABAROVSK, AND ON NOV. 13 HE TRIED TO GET TO THE TRANS TERNATNAL ZONE MOSW WH THE GOAL OF TRAVELG TO UKRAE WHOUT HAVG A “STICKER” (EX VISA OF UZBEKISTAN) OR A SCHENGEN VISA HIS PASSPORT.AT THE BORR NTROL, AMIR WAS TAED BY THE BORR SERVICE OF THE FSB OF RSIA AND FED 2,000 BL FOR VLATG THE STATE BORR REGIME OF THE RSIAN FERATN. DURG TENTN, AMIR WAS ABLE TO LL THE DUTY OFFICER OF UNHCR, WHO PASSED THE RMATN TO THE CIVIC ASSISTANCE MIGRATN LAWYER.THE LAWYER WAS ABLE TO MAKE AN AGREEMENT WH THE DUTY OFFICERS OF THE BORR NTROL PARTMENT TO ONLY IMPOSE A FE ON AMIR WHOUT PORTG HIM OM RSIA.AFTER DRAWG UP THE PROTOL AND OBTAG A CISN TO HOLD HIM ACUNTABLE, AMIR WAS RELEASED AND TOOK A TAXI TO THE RSIAN-UKRAIAN BORR. AMIR TOLD THE RSIAN BORR OFFICERS ABOUT HIS STORY AND WAS RELEASED OM THE TERRORY OF RSIA. HOWEVER, THE UKRAIAN BORR OFFICERS REFED TO LET AMIR TO THE UNTRY, MA A NOTE THE PASSPORT ON THE PROHIBN OF ENTRY TO UKRAE, AND SENT HIM BACK TO RSIA.RSIAN BORR OFFICERS REFED TO LET AMIR TO RSIA. AMIR WAS AGA TAED BY BORR OFFICERS, HE AGA NTACTED THE DUTY OFFICER OF UNHCR, AND THE CIVIC ASSISTANCE MIGRATN LAWYER MANAGED TO GET PERMISSN FOR AMIR TO RETURN TO RSIA.AFTER AMIR RETURNED TO MOSW, CIVIC ASSISTANCE NTACTED STIMUL WH A REQUT FOR ASSISTANCE PROVIDG TEMPORARY HOG FOR HIM. SCE NOV. 17, AMIR HAS BEEN UNR THE RE OF OUR ANIZATN. AFTER NDUCTG TERVIEWS AND CHECKG THE FACTS TO NFIRM THE EXISTENCE OF A REAL DANGER TO THE LIFE AND HEALTH OF AMIR, WE ME TO THE NCLN THAT AMIR NEED THE FASTT EVACUATN OM RSIA.ON FEB. 9 HE RECEIVED A MIGRATN VISA TO EUROPE. DUE TO THE ABSENCE OF THE SO-LLED STICKER (AN UZBEK EX VISA) AMIR’S PASSPORT, STIMUL GAVE AMIR TECHNIL ASSISTANCE CROSSG THE RSIAN BORR AND ONE OF OUR EMPLOYE ACPANIED AMIR TO EUROPE.ON FEB. 12, 2018, AMIR LEFT RSIA AND ARRIVED EUROPE, WHERE HE IS NOW UNR THE RE OF A FRENCH LGBT ANIZATN AND HIS IEND. TIM TEEMAN

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. 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.

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.