Chechnya’s President says he’d defend families who killed their gay relatives
CHECHEN President Ramzan Kadyrov has called on families of gay men to kill them.
“Honour killings” are illegal in Russia and Chechnya, Pink News has reported.
Speaking to HBO, the Chechen president said he would nevertheless defend the right of families to kill their gay relatives.
“If we have such people here, then I’m telling you officially, their relatives won’t let them be, because of our faith, our mentality, customs and traditions,” he said.
“Even if it’s punishable under the law, we would still condone it.”
However, Kadyrov continues to deny a gay purge in Chechnya and to suggest there are no gay people in the region.
“This is nonsense,” he said.
“We don’t have those kinds of people here.
“If there were any gay people living in the region, then they should move to Canada.”
Kadyrov said that gay people need to be removed from Chechnya to “purify the blood” of the region.
“Praise be to God,” he said.
“Take them far from us so we don’t have them at home.
“To purify our blood, if there are any here, take them.
“They are devils. They are for sale. They are not people.”
Genocide charges have been filed against Chechnya over the alleged persecution of gay men in concentration camps in the region.
Dozens of men have reportedly been killed as the purge continues.