18.04.2017, USA.
On April 18 Nikki Haley, the US Ambassador to the UN expressed her concern over reports of violations of the rights of sexual minorities in Chechnya in her remarks, RIA Novosti reported.
“Tomorrow, the United States will lead a first-ever meeting on human rights in international conflicts in the UN Security Council to underscore our commitment to addressing human rights abuses wherever they threaten international peace and security.” – said Haley in her statement.
The detailed agenda of the meeting is not given in the statement, however, it expresses concern over reports of violations of the rights of sexual minorities in Chechnya.
“We continue to be disturbed by reports of kidnapping, torture, and murder of people in Chechnya based on their sexual orientation <…> If true, this violation of human rights cannot be ignored – Chechen authorities must immediately investigate these allegations, hold anyone involved accountable, and take steps to prevent future abuses.” – the US Ambassador said in the statement.
This statement on Chechnya repeats the statement of the US State Department on April 7 almost verbatim.
Information on the alleged persecution of homosexuals in Chechnya appeared on April 1 in „Novaya Gazeta“. In response, Chechen Republic officials stated that what was published was insulting slander, and they demanded an apology from the editor-in-chief of the newspaper.
On April 17, the Investigative Committee of Russia launched an investigation in connection with the information published in the „Novaya Gazeta“. At the same time, the Investigative Committee stressed that they did not receive any reports regarding the persecution of sexual minorities in Chechnya.
As reported by Rossa Primavera News Agency earlier, an information buzz regarding concentration camps for gays in Chechnya was created by „Novaya Gazeta”, a publication which is registered in the Netherlands, and which recieves funding from the Dutch government.
Source: Rossa Primavera News Agency
