Arman Hasanov and Bekzat Mukashev arrived in Moscow in February 2020. They fled from Kazakhstan because Bekzat’s parents did not want to accept that their son is homosexual. His parents used physical and psychological force towards him. The men asked Russian LGBT Network for help.
July 1st, Russian people will vote on the approval of series of changes in the constitution of the Russian Federation. Russian LGBT Network cannot stay aside from this topic, and it has to share an opinion about the current situation, even though LGBT Network is not able to participate and promote political agitations.
On June 8, an LGBT activist from Khabarovsk was found guilty of “a propaganda of nontraditional sexual relations among minors”. A judge imposed an administrative penalty. The main evidence of the activist’s guilt was an expertise prepared by the office of the local Commissioner for Children’s rights. The activist refused legal assistance from the Russian LGBT Network just before the court hearing.
52 Russian and International human rights organizations (including the Russian LGBT Network) signed the statement about the fact that Russia jeopardize online freedoms all over the world. The representative of Article 19 delivered the Statement at the session of the UN Human Rights Council in Genève.
On May 19th, GENDERDOC-M organized the annual march of equality in Chișinău, under the campaign Fără Frică de Iubire(Without the fear to love). However, unlike the last years’ experience, the march that included approximately 350 participants was able to reach its destination without being attacked and evacuated halfway through the route. The Ministry of Interior provided all necessary protections for the participants and despite the aggressive outbursts of the counter-protestors, the Pride march was not exposed to any violence.
A year has passed since the publication of first testimonies of LGBT people that faced persecution in Chechnya based on their sexual orientation and gender identity. However the unlawful detentions, humiliation and torture of LGBT people in Northern Caucasus persist. There are some things one can do to support the victims of the state-organized persecutions of LGBT in Chechnya.
