Gay Brothers Detained In Chechnya Go On Hunger Strike

Brothers Salekh Magamadov (20) and Ismail Isaev (17), detained by authorities in Chechnya for the past 10 months, have announced that they would go on a hunger strike unless the case against them is moved to another region.

Magamadov and Isaev, who are gay, had moved to the city of Nizhny Novgorod in July 2020 and were planning to flee to Russia and then an unspecified foreign country. However, authorities abducted them and took them back to Chechnya in February 2021.

The brothers were booked under the country’s anti-terrorism laws for allegedly providing food to terrorists. They face up to 15 years in jail if convicted.

Prosecuted For Being Gay

The brothers said they were beaten and tortured while in custody and were forced to sign fabricated confessions. According to rights organisations, Magamadov and Isaev were being prosecuted for speaking out against Chechen authorities and for being gay.

“They are being prosecuted on spurious charges solely for exercising their right to freedom of expression, including in connection with their real or perceived sexual orientation and gender identity, and must be immediately released. All charges against them must be dropped,” Amnesty International had said.

A statement released by the Russian LGBT Network through its North Caucasus SOS program, said the brothers had started a hunger strike.

“Magamadov and Isaev have been in the Detention Center No. 1 in Grozny, Chechen Republic [for] more than 10 months. They have reported being tortured during this time but the Investigation Committee refused to investigate the fact of torturing and to initiate a criminal case…Magamadov and Isaev have said pressure has been applied to them and that they were forced to refuse from legal support,” the statement said.

Anti-Gay Purges In Chechnya

The group said that the two brothers had also been threatened with honour killings by relatives on Chechen television. They added that the brothers were unlikely to get a fair trial as Chechen authorities already believe them to be guilty and their lawyers have been denied access.

A judge rejected an application by the brothers to move their case to another region, which prompted their decision to go on a hunger strike.

Chechnya has been accused of persecuting LGBTQI people in its anti-gay purges in 2017 and 2019. Earlier this year European Union blacklisted Ayub Kataev, head of the Russian Internal Affairs Ministry in Chechnya, a known persecutor of LGBTQ+ people and Abuzayed Vismuradov, the commander of the Terek Special Rapid Responses Team.

The United States has already sanctioned the duo for human rights abuses. An online petition by the Victorian Pride Lobby and addressed to Minister for Foreign Affairs and Minister for Women, Marise Payne, had urged Australia to impose sanctions on the two senior government officials known to persecute gay people in Chechnya.

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