Norway reacts to reports on action against gays in Chechnya

Foreign Minister, Ine Eriksen Søreide.Photo: Terje Bendiksby / NTB scanpix

Norway has recently called for investigations into the reports of violence against gays in the Russian Republic of Chechnya.

Concerned groups in Russia stated that international reactions and political statements are needed to remedy the situation according to Foreign Minister, Ine Eriksen Søreide, of Høyre (H).

“Credible reports of a new wave of persecution and arrests of LGBT people in Chechnya are therefore very worrying” she wrote in a letter to parliament.

In January 2017, there were reports that more than 100 gay men were arrested and tortured in the mainly Muslim region of southern Russia. On January 14 this year, Russian networks for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people (LGBT people) reported that two gay men were killed and 40 arrested in new
actions.

According to Søreide, on January 17, Norway joined the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe’s (OSCE) permanent council.

“In the post, Russia was urgently asked to investigate the new human rights violations and follow the recommendations given in the report from the Moscow mechanism on an effective and transparent investigation of the incidents” said the Foreign Minister.

In November last year, Norway participated in activating the OSCE’s so-called Moscow mechanism, which means that an expert review of the reported human rights violations in Chechnya would be implemented in 2017.

‘’Russia chose not to cooperate on the investigation’’ wrote Søreide.

© NTB Scanpix / #Norway Today