The European Union demanded that Russia protect the rights of gays persecuted in Chechnya

The High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Federica Mogherini, in a conversation with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, demanded that Russia protect the rights of its own citizens, including gays in Chechnya, reports . Interfax

“Regarding the issue of the gay community in Chechnya, yes, we conveyed to the Russian government that it is part of their responsibility to protect their citizens. We believe that the Russian authorities bear direct responsibility for protecting the rights of their citizens,” she said following negotiations with Lavrov.

In response, Lavrov said that at the moment there is no confirmation of information about the persecution of gays in the republic, and called on the EU to provide relevant facts “before making such harsh condemnations.” He added that “we have not yet seen definitive confirmation of the persecution of gays in Chechnya.”

“The main thing is that these accusations are supported by facts and that they are not used for political purposes. It has become fashionable to use any Russian factor for some internal political purposes in European countries,” Lavrov emphasized.

In early April, Novaya Gazeta and Radio Liberty wrote about the mass detentions and murders of gays in Chechnya. After the publications, the press secretary of the head of the republic, Ramzan Kadyrov, said that “if there were such people in Chechnya (gays - MZ), their relatives would send them to an address from which they do not return.” The Chechen prosecutor's office, together with other law enforcement agencies, began inspections after the publications. Human Rights Commissioner Tatyana Moskalkova suspected provocation and false denunciation in the information about the persecution of gays in Chechnya.