[Congressional Record Volume 163, Number 83 (Monday, May 15, 2017)]
[Senate]
[Page S2930]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                    ANTI-LGBTQ VIOLENCE IN CHECHNYA

  Mr. BROWN. Madam President, today, with deep concerns, I wish to 
speak about the treatment of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and 
queer--LGBTQ--individuals in Chechnya, in southern Russia.
  Starting in early April of this year, news reports from the region 
told the horrific story of gay men being detained, tortured, and in 
some cases killed on the basis of their sexual orientation. At lease 
100 gay men--and according to some press reports, as many as several 
hundred--were held and tortured in secret detention facilities in 
Chechyna. At least three men were killed: one after being tortured by 
authorities and two following calls by local officials encouraging so-
called honor killings. As one Russian gay rights activist noted, 
``there is little doubt that we are dealing with crimes against 
humanity.'' Stories of men being tortured and interrogated to reveal 
fellow LGBTQ individuals are also deeply disturbing.
  Ramzan Kadyrov, the Head of the Chechen Republic, has made a number 
of troubling comments that LGBTQ individuals ``don't exist'' in 
Chechnya, an abhorrent denial of the human rights of LGBTQ individuals 
in Chechnya. According to accounts by the British Foreign Ministry, 
Kadyrov is planning to ``eliminate'' gay men in Chechnya before the 
beginning of the religious month of Ramadan at the end of May. State-
sanctioned violence that targets individuals based on their sexual 
orientation demands international condemnation, and the United States 
must be a strong voice for the human rights of all individuals.
  Though Russian President Vladimir V. Putin has stated he will support 
an inquiry into these reports, Russia's track record shows a lack of 
serious commitment to human rights, particularly on LGBTQ issues.
  I commend the work of nongovernmental organizations in Russia and 
abroad who have worked to evacuate LGBTQ individuals from Chechnya, and 
I am heartened by the advocacy of many Ohioans on this important issue. 
The U.S. must stand as a fierce advocate for the inalienable rights of 
all individuals. I urge the administration to take a strong stance in 
defense of human rights and publically condemn these acts of barbarous 
inhumanity. We must never forget lessons of the past concerning what 
happens when we allow unchecked hatred and bigotry to manifest, and we 
must always preserve the U.S. as a beacon of hope for individuals 
around the world.

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