Last week, reports surfaced claiming activists in Chechnya - a republic in Russia with a mostly conservative, Muslim population - detained 40 LGBT people and killed two. The Russian LGBT Network stated that it became aware of the crisis in early January, but that authorities are both unwilling to stop and acknowledge the persecution. This mentality was reflected in 2017 by Ramzan Kadyrov, the republic's leader, asserting that "in Chechen society, there is no such thing as nontraditional orientation." In other words, Kadyrov claims that LGBT people do not exist in Chechnya. Unfortunately, this is not Chechnya's first instance of LGBT persecution, as similar events took place in 2017, resulting in the torture and murder of multiple homosexual men and women. These horrific acts were typically carried out by law enforcement officials, despite Vladimir Putin stating that being gay is not a crime in Russia. So far, the Russian LGBT Network says it has successfully relocated 150 people who were in danger despite the police's efforts to prevent their escape. Although the Russian government has made efforts to cover up these actions, the attention of large humanitarian organizations will hopefully assist LGBT individuals in achieving asylum and safety.
https://www.npr.org/2019/01/14/685192372/activists-say-40-detained-and-2-dead-in-gay-purge-in-chechnya
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