Stories of film heroes "Chechen War against LGBT" impress spectators

The commentators to Karen Shainyan's documentary "Chechen War against LGBT" have treated the persecution methods of gays and lesbians in Chechnya as the wildest Middle Ages. The problems of film heroes need maximum publicity, spectators have pointed out.

The journalist Karen Shainyan has posted his documentary (18+) on August 14 on his YouTube channel.

The film is divided into conventional parts – "How people were kidnapped"; "How they try to 'cure' homosexuality in Chechnya"; "How the world learned about what is happening in Chechnya"; "What happens to survivors and why many return"; "Does Islam prohibit homosexual contacts?", "Why not in Dagestan? In what Chechnya differs from neighbouring republics" and "Is there any hope for any changes?"

One of the heroes of the film, Amin Djabrailov, living now in Canada, told that in 2017 he was tortured for two weeks in a secret prison in the village of Tsotsi-Yurt. "They give a piece of paper and a pen and say: 'Recollect all those with whom you slept, with whom you had relationships, write it all down on the paper – and give it to us.' Every time they came, I had nothing to write, and they beat me up," he said.

The authors of most comments to the Shainyan's documentary have expressed their respect to the journalist for covering the persecution of LGBT people in Chechnya. "This is a very difficult topic, but it needs to be discussed. Thanks for your work, Karen!" the user Mia Serna has written.

"The wildest Middle Ages!!!! And this is happening in the 21st century ... I have no words," the user Agatha Poison has commented on the situation in Chechnya.

"If we want changes, if we want a more fair and developed society, we must stop being silent, suppressing, and pretending that everything is wonderful," the user Evgeniya Yüksel wrote.

This article was originally published on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’ on August 16, 2020 at 03:12 pm MSK. To access the full text of the article, click here.