[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 163 (2017), Part 6]
[House]
[Pages 8042-8043]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




             CONDEMNING HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATIONS IN CHECHNYA

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from 
Florida (Ms. Ros-Lehtinen) for 5 minutes.
  Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Mr. Speaker, I am deeply concerned by the rapidly 
deteriorating human rights situation in Chechnya where hundreds of gay 
or perceived-to-be gay men have been harassed, have been tortured, and 
have been killed by Chechen authorities.
  On April 1, a Russian independent newspaper first reported on this 
detention and disappearance of gay men, which the Chechen leader has 
continuously denied.
  You see, Mr. Speaker, the leader Ramzan refuses to acknowledge that 
gay men exist in Chechnya, but we know from many credible reports that 
the Chechen Government has allegedly put these men into camps, and it 
plans to eliminate its entire gay population by Ramadan, which is May 
26.
  This is disheartening, to say the least, in an era where the world is 
moving toward tolerance and equality for all people. To hear about 
these atrocities being committed is very tragic. The United States 
should not and must not turn a blind eye to this unwarranted 
persecution. All individuals, no matter their sexual orientation, their 
gender identity, their religion, their race, or any other basis deserve 
the full enjoyment of their God-given rights. These are universal and 
are for all people to enjoy.
  In the wake of these events, I joined several of my colleagues from 
both sides of the aisle in sending a letter to Secretary of State Rex 
Tillerson to take swift action and condemn these atrocities which run 
counter to American values of promoting human rights and freedom and 
that should guide strategic decisions that we make on U.S. foreign 
policy.
  I was glad to see that the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and 
Labor of the Department of State spoke out against the practice of the 
Chechen authorities and called for the immediate release of the 
hundreds of detained men being held at these camps.
  U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley must be congratulated, also. She 
condemned these abuses and raised the issue at the first U.N. Security 
Council meeting. I look forward to the continued collaboration of these 
agencies and with my colleagues because we must send a united and clear 
message that we are against all forms of discrimination and all forms 
of violence.
  Mr. Speaker, we must not forget that Putin has significant influence 
over what goes on in Chechnya, and, to date, Putin has done nothing to 
help. This is simply outrageous.
  From restrictions on political participation, to the suppression of 
civil society, to the silencing of religious minorities, to the 
prohibition of freedom of expression, Russia has a deplorable human 
rights record. Just over the last few years, the Russian Government has 
adopted laws that restrict free speech, that restrict free association 
of LGBT individuals, and Russian agencies threaten the removal of 
children from their rightful loving homes.
  Chechnya's crackdown on the LGBT community, directed by government 
officials, it is very clear to see that these are not haphazard events. 
These are state-sponsored violent activities. It is time for Putin to 
talk to his crony Ramzan and put an end to this barbaric gay purge. No 
government ought to be able to dictate how each person expresses their 
individuality, and no government ought to be able to use children as 
pawns to punish and intimidate others.
  I am committed to supporting LGBT individuals under siege in 
Chechnya, and through the combined efforts of wonderful organizations 
like the Council for Global Equality, Human Rights First, Human Rights 
Campaign, Freedom House, and so many NGOs in Russia, we will continue 
to raise the alarm about Chechnya and Russia's declining human rights 
record and help find a safe haven to those facing persecution.
  Living in a free society and a truly blessed nation like ours, it 
reaffirms our moral obligation and our unique responsibility to speak 
for those who find themselves under the shadow of oppression and 
tyranny.
  Mr. Speaker, I am against any actions that undermine the human rights 
of any person, and, in the coming days, I will introduce a resolution 
that condemns these reports of violence and persecution in Chechnya. It 
calls on its officials to immediately stop the abduction, the 
detention, and the torture of individuals based on their sexual 
orientation. It is just unbelievable.

[[Page 8043]]

  It urges further our U.S. leadership to continue to condemn 
Chechnya's ongoing human rights violations and demand the release of 
individuals wrongfully detained. We remain steadfast in our commitment 
to protect and promote the human rights and dignity of all people.
  Mr. Speaker, it is my hope that our colleagues would join me in this 
worthy endeavor.

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