PACE includes harassment of gays in resolution on human rights violations in Northern Caucasus

PACE deputies have adopted a resolution in which they criticized the human rights situation in Northern Caucasus. The resolution deals with harassment of human rights defenders, suppression of dissent, intimidation of journalists, and violation of women's rights.

The text of the resolution adopted on April 25 at the PACE session in Strasbourg contains a reminder of the 2010 resolution, in which PACE expressed its regret over the systematic violations of human rights violations and climate of impunity prevailing in Northern Caucasus.

"The Assembly notes with regret that the recommendations of the 2010 resolution earlier adopted with the support of the Russian delegation have not yet been implemented," reports the PACE resolution as quoted by the RIA "Novosti".

According to Frank Schwabe, a PACE member from Germany, who has presented the report for discussion at the PACE session, at present, the situation with human rights in Northern Caucasus is "just catastrophic." "Incredible things happen there, and it is hard to believe that thy take place in the territory of a member state of the Council of Europe," said Frank Schwabe.

The text of the resolution states that the Chechen authorities, in particular, "create an atmosphere of fear" among the population, and its certain paragraph is devoted to the situation of women in Chechnya, whose rights are limited by Chechen customs and Shari norms.

Besides, in the text of the resolution, the PACE deputies appealed to the leaders of the Council of Europe (CE) with a request to conduct a special investigation into cases of harassment, torture and killings of members of the LGBT community in Chechnya, the "Deutsche Welle" reports.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that on April 1, the newspaper "Novaya Gazeta" reported about mass detentions in Chechnya of men suspected of unconventional sexual orientation. Later, the newspaper "Novaya Gazeta" reported with reference to gays persecuted in Chechnya that in Argun, a "secret prison" had been arranged for people with unconventional sexual orientation. According to the "Radio Liberty", another similar prison, where members of sexual minorities are beaten and humiliated, is located in the Chechen village of Tsotsi-Yurt.

Full text of the article is available on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’.