Two gay men from Chechnya face “mortal danger” after being abducted from Russia and forcibly returned to Chechnya under terrorism investigation, a Russian LGBT rights group has stated.
© Provided by National Post Banner with Putin wearing makeup appeared on a protest against the LGBTQ prosecution in Chechnya near the Russian embassy in 2017.
According to the Russian LGBT Network, Salekh Magamadov, 20, and Ismail Isayev, 17, resided in Nizhny Novgorod, east of Moscow, when they were kidnapped last Thursday by both Chechen and Russian police. The two men are confined for allegations of supporting terrorism,” the Network told The Guardian . They were sent to a police station in Chechen town Gudermes this Saturday.
Magamadov and Isayev fled Chechnya last year in June through the LGBT group after they were arrested and tortured in Chechnya by special police in April 2020 for operating an opposition channel on the Telegram app, called Osal Nakh 95.
Based on Russian media, they were detained on suspicion of posting offensive publications, comments and photographs of other people, for which they were alleged in terrorism. But Tim Bestsvet, the Russian LGBT Network spokesperson, said they were arrested “initially because of their sexual orientation,” the Moscow Times reported.
Both Magamadov and Isayev were forced to record a video apologizing for running the Osal Nakh 95 channel.
Bestsvet told the Guardian that he is worried for the safety of the two men, referring to other incidents when men had been returned to Chechnya, where they vanished or died.
“There have been cases when relatives brought back to Chechnya people that we had evacuated and then these people would die or, we can say, were probably murdered,” Bestsvet told the Moscow Times.
According to the Russian LGBT Network, Salekh Magamadov, 20, and Ismail Isayev, 17, resided in Nizhny Novgorod, east of Moscow, when they were kidnapped last Thursday by both Chechen and Russian police. The two men are confined for allegations of supporting terrorism,” the Network told The Guardian . They were sent to a police station in Chechen town Gudermes this Saturday.
Magamadov and Isayev fled Chechnya last year in June through the LGBT group after they were arrested and tortured in Chechnya by special police in April 2020 for operating an opposition channel on the Telegram app, called Osal Nakh 95.
Based on Russian media, they were detained on suspicion of posting offensive publications, comments and photographs of other people, for which they were alleged in terrorism. But Tim Bestsvet, the Russian LGBT Network spokesperson, said they were arrested “initially because of their sexual orientation,” the Moscow Times reported.
Both Magamadov and Isayev were forced to record a video apologizing for running the Osal Nakh 95 channel.
Bestsvet told the Guardian that he is worried for the safety of the two men, referring to other incidents when men had been returned to Chechnya, where they vanished or died.
“There have been cases when relatives brought back to Chechnya people that we had evacuated and then these people would die or, we can say, were probably murdered,” Bestsvet told the Moscow Times.
According to the LGBT Network, law enforcement officers detained Magamadov and Isayev in their apartment in Nizhny Novgorod on Feb. 4. The LGBT group later received a frightening phone call from the two men with screaming in the background.
After their lawyer Alexander Nemov arrived at the apartment 30 minutes later, he found the evidence of a struggle and noticed that both Magamadov and Isayev had disappeared.
The LGBT Network reported that the neighbours saw people in black uniforms entering the building a few hours before the incident happened. They claim those people could have been the Russian SWAT-team.
Regional Police Precinct could not affirm the two arrested were in their custody.
Euronews stated that Nemov has visited Chechnya to speak with his clients but was not allowed to see them. The LGBT Network reoirted that the police failed to explain why the men were arrested and did not provide any information to the lawyer for at least two days.
On Sunday, the LGBT Network posted on their Instagram that Magamadov and Isayev were forced to reject the lawyer’s assistance, making the LGBT group send them a new one.
Although Magamadov is more than 18-years-old, Isayev, who is 17-years-old, is a minor and can deny legal representation through his parents, the Moscow Times said.
Bestsvet said Isayev’s father went to the Chechen police station on Saturday and was pressured to prevent his son from seeing the lawyer.
Akhmed Dudayev, an aide of the Chechnya’s leader Ramzan Kadyrov, told the Guardian that the men had admitted they helped an illegal armed group headed by Aslan Byutukayev , who was named as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist by the U.S. in 2016. If convicted of terrorism, the men could face up to 15 years of jail time in Chechnya.
Dudyaev also claimed the arrest was legal and that any effort to sway the case would be “senseless and futile,” The Guardian reported.
Russian republic Chechnya has been condemned for alleged oppression of the LGBT community since 2017, and many gay people claimed they were tortured by law enforcement.
In a response to the alleged persecution of gay people in Chechnya, the Russian LGBT Network based in Saint Petersburg has aided 200 people to leave the republic either to foreign countries or to other areas in Russia.
The Guardian stated the Chechnya officials rejected reports of such allegations, although several men had reported police brutality and abductions.
Kadyrov was also alleged in other human rights violations, claiming “there are no gay men in Chechnya.”
After their lawyer Alexander Nemov arrived at the apartment 30 minutes later, he found the evidence of a struggle and noticed that both Magamadov and Isayev had disappeared.
The LGBT Network reported that the neighbours saw people in black uniforms entering the building a few hours before the incident happened. They claim those people could have been the Russian SWAT-team.
Regional Police Precinct could not affirm the two arrested were in their custody.
Euronews stated that Nemov has visited Chechnya to speak with his clients but was not allowed to see them. The LGBT Network reoirted that the police failed to explain why the men were arrested and did not provide any information to the lawyer for at least two days.
On Sunday, the LGBT Network posted on their Instagram that Magamadov and Isayev were forced to reject the lawyer’s assistance, making the LGBT group send them a new one.
Although Magamadov is more than 18-years-old, Isayev, who is 17-years-old, is a minor and can deny legal representation through his parents, the Moscow Times said.
Bestsvet said Isayev’s father went to the Chechen police station on Saturday and was pressured to prevent his son from seeing the lawyer.
Akhmed Dudayev, an aide of the Chechnya’s leader Ramzan Kadyrov, told the Guardian that the men had admitted they helped an illegal armed group headed by Aslan Byutukayev , who was named as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist by the U.S. in 2016. If convicted of terrorism, the men could face up to 15 years of jail time in Chechnya.
Dudyaev also claimed the arrest was legal and that any effort to sway the case would be “senseless and futile,” The Guardian reported.
Russian republic Chechnya has been condemned for alleged oppression of the LGBT community since 2017, and many gay people claimed they were tortured by law enforcement.
In a response to the alleged persecution of gay people in Chechnya, the Russian LGBT Network based in Saint Petersburg has aided 200 people to leave the republic either to foreign countries or to other areas in Russia.
The Guardian stated the Chechnya officials rejected reports of such allegations, although several men had reported police brutality and abductions.
Kadyrov was also alleged in other human rights violations, claiming “there are no gay men in Chechnya.”
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