Rep. Takano Calls for International Condemnation of Ongoing Violence Targeting Chechnya’s Gay Community
Washington, D.C. – Today, Rep. Mark Takano (D-Calif.) released the following statement calling on the international community to condemn the Chechen government’s horrific campaign of violence and oppression against the gay community. He also called on Vladimir Putin and the Russian government to exert its influence in Chechnya to end the arrest, torture, and murder of gay men in the region.
“The chilling reports of mass detentions and violence against gay men in Chechnya demand an overwhelming response from the international community. All nations committed to the universal ideal of human dignity must make it known that this sickening campaign of oppression will not stand.
“The obligation to speak out falls most heavily on Vladimir Putin and the Russian government, which could assert its influence to end this violence at any moment. A failure to act amounts to complicity, and the unprecedented persecution of gay men in Chechnya is quickly becoming yet another addition to Russia’s long list of crimes against humanity. Despite their secrecy and denials, the Chechen government and Vladimir Putin should have no doubt that the world is watching."
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