Support The Moscow Times!

Kadyrov Calls for Purging Chechnya of Gay Men, But Insists None Live There

Kadyrov says if there are any gay people in Chechnya they should be removed in order to "purify the nation's blood." @yashar / Twitter

Ramzan Kadyrov, leader of the North Caucasus republic of Chechnya, has called for ridding his region of gay people "to purify the [nation’s] blood."

Kadyrov dismissed media reports that gay men are being persecuted in Chechnya, saying there are no gay men there.

The Chechen leader made the comments in an interview with HBO TV’s “Real Sports With Bryant Gumbel” due to be broadcast on Tuesday. A preview of the interview was made available to the Washington Post.

"The [reports on the persecution of gay men in Chechnya are] nonsense," Kadyrov told the interviewer. "We don't have any gays." 

But, he added, if "there are any take them to Canada, praise be to God. Take them far from us so we don't have them at home. To purify our blood, if there are any here, take them."

In April, Russian investigative newspaper Novaya Gazeta reported on secret prisons in Chechnya where gay men were allegedly detained and tortured.

Last week, Novaya Gazeta published the names of 27 detainees it believes were murdered by Chechen security forces.

"Do you not get concerned when you read these accounts of young men who say they've been tortured for days, does it concern you as a matter of law and order?" the interviewer asks an increasingly irritated Kadyrov.

"They are devils, they're for sale, they're not people. Let them be cursed for what they say about us," Kadyrov responds.

The HBO report focuses on how the Chechen leader uses mixed martial arts (MMA) to promote his conservative political agenda. 

Sign up for our free weekly newsletter

Our weekly newsletter contains a hand-picked selection of news, features, analysis and more from The Moscow Times. You will receive it in your mailbox every Friday. Never miss the latest news from Russia. Preview
Subscribers agree to the Privacy Policy

A Message from The Moscow Times:

Dear readers,

We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent."

These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia.

We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help.

Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact.

By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us.

Once
Monthly
Annual
Continue
paiment methods
Not ready to support today?
Remind me later.

Read more