We are still fighting to help free Ali, and we are not giving up on him. Thank you all for your support.
In Chechnya - a republic of Russia - there have been ongoing reports of citizens being arrested en masse or tortured due to their perceived or actual sexual orientation or gender identity.
Survivors have claimed that Chechen authorities are urging parents to kill their gay children.
Gay and bisexual men are being tricked into meetings using social media, only to be violently attacked or detained.
There are shocking reports of queer women being detained and subjected to acts of sexual violence.
In response to international condemnation, the Head of the Chechen Republic Ramzan Kadyrov has previously said “you cannot detain and persecute people who simply do not exist”.
What is clear from these horrific reports is that LGBTQ+ people in Chechnya are in grave danger and at risk of arrest or torture, if not worse.
So far the Australian Government has done very little to intervene.
Our government has certainly expressed concerns in the past, but without targeted sanctions these human rights abuses will be allowed to go on uncurbed. Countries like the U.S. have previously imposed sanctions and it’s now time for Australia to follow suit.
That’s why the Victorian Pride Lobby is calling on the Minister for Foreign Affairs Marisa Payne to impose sanctions on these two human rights abusers: Ayub Kataev and Abuzayed Vismuradov.
This will help to keep pressure on them and will let Chechnya know the world is watching.
Please, sign and share the petition if you believe all LGBTQ+ people deserve to live in safety and free from the fear of persecution or violence.