12.05.2017, Russia.
In a letter addressed to the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Zeid Ra‘ad al-Hussein, the Journalists’ Union of Chechnya asked to stop the smear campaign based on human rights abuse allegations in the Republic of Chechnya, RIA Novosti news agency reported on May 11.
“We denounce the accusations of alleged cases of illegal actions against citizens with non-traditional sexual orientation in the Republic of Chechnya, calling them absolutely groundless and untrue. We are asking that the abusive smear campaign against the Republic of Chechnya and the Chechen people be stopped, ” reads the letter.
The Journalists’ Union of Chechnya is preparing a similar letter to the International Federation of Journalists, headquartered in Belgium.
The questions of illegal actions against Russian citizens should be resolved by the relevant law enforcement agencies and judicial authorities under the Russian Constitution, emphasized the journalists.
Novaya Gazeta reported the detention and possible killings of Chechen residents because of their non-traditional sexual orientation in April. Later, this issue was mentioned by German Chancellor Angela Merkel at a meeting with Vladimir Putin in Sochi.
The issue of the alleged gay rights violations in Chechnya, in connection with high-profile media publications, was raised at an annual report on the state of human rights in Russia by ombudswoman Tatyana Moskalkova to the Russian President, Vladimir Putin, on May 5.
Vladimir Putin called the ombudswoman’s work productive and promised to address the “rumors of what is happening with people of non-traditional sexual orientation in the Northern Caucasus [region of Russia] ” to the Prosecutor General of Russia, Yury Chaika, and the Russian Minister of Internal Affairs, Vladimir Kolokoltsev.
British Prime Minister, Theresa May, promised “to seek opportunities for joint diplomatic steps with international partners” to support the rights of homosexuals in Chechnya, Russia, on May 10.
Source: Rossa Primavera News Agency
