20:54, 25 December 2017

Gay from Chechnya tells about demands to apologize to Kadyrov

Movsar Eskerkhanov. Screenshot of a video by the user Churban Abdulov https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rgATiDXpKxk

Movsar Eskerkhanov, a refugee from Chechnya, said that he was forced to ask the authorities of the republic to forgive him for his coming-out.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that on November 13, Movsar Eskerkhanov, a Chechen native, who is claiming a refugee status in Germany, speaking on air of the "Grozny" TV Channel, asked the leadership of Chechnya to pardon him. According to his story, Western journalists forced him to publicly confess to his homosexuality in order to "dishonour Chechens."

Eskerkhanov said in an interview with the RTVI TV Channel that people who came to him forced him, under threats, to apologize to the head of Chechnya, Ramzan Kadyrov.

He added that he feared an attack and did not leave home.

In September, the Time wrote that Eskerkhanov wanted to help other Chechen gays and urged them "not to be afraid of anyone." The Russian BBC Service noted that he was the first native of Chechnya to openly declare his homosexuality.

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