Human rights are equal for everyone. Why do we disagree with the words of Ruslan Kutaev

The crisis group SK SOS demanded that Ruslan Kutaev be removed from the Russian platform at PACE after his statements in an interview with The Breakfast Show . When discussing helping Chechen women and queer people fleeing violence and persecution, he said he did not want to address the issue, citing his membership in the “conservative part of Chechen society.” He also said that decisions about a person’s fate “ripe in the family” and are made by the family.

Ruslan Kutaev is a Chechen public and political figure, president of the “Assembly of the Peoples of the Caucasus” and a participant in the Platform for Dialogue with Russian Democratic Forces under PACE.

The editors of Komi Daily and Lana Pylaeva do not share his position.

“I do not support Kutaev’s statements. As a participant in the PACE Platform, I think it is important to support women and queer people. This is an important priority in my work. It is important that PACE has an ethical infrastructure to respond to such cases,” said Lana Pylaeva.

We believe that human rights are human rights because they belong to everyone without exception. They must not be limited on the basis of sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, origin, religion, political opinion, cultural background or any other basis.

In the March statement of the participants of the Platform at PACE, initiated by Lana Pylayeva, it was already emphasized that the persecution of LGBTQ+ people and those who help them should be considered politically motivated. The statement also calls for urgent protection, humanitarian support and solidarity with those who continue to help people in danger.