LGBT PEOPLE IN CHECHNYA

That this House notes with grave concern the Human Rights Watch report of a brutal campaign against LGBT people in the semi-autonomous Russian region of Chechnya, with more than 100 men reportedly detained over several weeks in connection with their non-traditional sexual orientation, or suspicion of such as part of a state-backed crackdown; is horrified by reports from LGBT groups in Russia that those who have escaped were imprisoned in groups of 30 to 40 and tortured with electric currents or beatings, some of them fatal; is dismayed that the human rights situation for LGBT people in Russia generally has deteriorated significantly in recent years; welcomes the Government's initial condemnation of these incidents but urges to raise this matter at the highest diplomatic levels; and expects the Russian Government to fulfil its international duties to protect its citizens at risk of persecution and uphold the rule of law.