US denies visas to gay Russians fleeing Chechnya
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According to a BuzzFeed News report, a group of around 40 gay men are hiding elsewhere in Russia to escape the country’s homophobic persecution, and have had difficulty acquiring visas to leave the country.
Since the independent Russian newspaper Novaya Gazeta first reported the abuse of dozens of gay Chechens in April, just two have managed to secure visas to safe countries despite the European Union and the United States expressing concern about the allegations, Zakharova said. A handful of gay Chechens have fled without visas because they believed the danger of staying in Russia was too great.
Svetlana Zakharova, a representative for the group Russia LGBT Network, told BuzzFeed “negotiations have been difficult” with countries that could provide safe haven for these queer refugees. She went on to say that “the US is not going to issue visas for people from Chechnya.”
Left with no way to get out, the gay men seeking visas continue to fear for their lives in Russia. The strongman who rules Chechnya with near impunity, Ramzan Kadyrov, is accused of having his critics hunted down both in other parts of Russia and outside Russia's borders.Kadyrov has responded to the Novaya Gazeta reports — which have since been confirmed by human rights organizations and international news outlets — by denying such a crackdown could have taken place because Chechnya "does not have this phenomenon called non-traditional sexual orientation." Several of the reporters involved in breaking the story left Russia in fear for their safety after a Kadyrov advisor called them "enemies of our faith and of our country" in a televised rally in April.
Zakharova told BuzzFeed News that "negotiations have been difficult" with representatives of countries that could provide safe refuge for survivors of the violence. She would not name the countries the organization was still trying to secure visas from because this could put any Chechens whose applications ultimately succeeded in danger, but she said in an email to BuzzFeed News on Tuesday that "we were informed that the US is not going to issue visas for people from Chechnya."
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I am afraid that the Trump administration will the give the names of these gay asylum-seekers to the Russian government.
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… but why would they want to go to usa? There are so many other countries that would allow them to leave sooner so they can be safe. If they really want to try and wait for usa visa they can ask for them later on, but the pressing issue atm is to leave Russia before they get killed.
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Trum is president, so im not surprised
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Butt… buttt... TRUMP IS OUR SAVIOUR!! He totes cares about gay people and helps justify my petty and closeted racism. /s :crazy2: (< some people on this forum)
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To be fair, US is the last country I would choose to free from such a situation. USA is kinda in Russia hands right now.
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Right now, Lithuania is the country to go to for sanctuary.
To be fair, US is the last country I would choose to free from such a situation. USA is kinda in Russia hands right now.
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In the UK under Labour (liberals) they told gay refugees to stop being gay and sent them back.
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i don't place trump on this one, under Obama, the US put a lot of sanctions on Russia and they hurt the ones living there in more ways then one, people who live in a country with sanctions will have a harder time getting visas then someone from a country without sanctions.
currently trump is trying to remove most if not all the sanctions on Russia but in situation like this, there not going removed in time for the people of chechnya :cry2:
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i don't place trump on this one, under Obama, the US put a lot of sanctions on Russia and they hurt the ones living there in more ways then one, people who live in a country with sanctions will have a harder time getting visas then someone from a country without sanctions.
currently trump is trying to remove most if not all the sanctions on Russia but in situation like this, there not going removed in time for the people of chechnya :cry2:
The sanctions were placed because Russia invaded Ukraine.
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it is not right for the Russin GV to do this hurt to the poor people
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Trump is trash. We been knew.
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In the UK under Labour (liberals) they told gay refugees to stop being gay and sent them back.
(((Deflection))) Avoid talking about an issue by bringing up another issue.
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Chechnya is autonomous to Russia. Also, one of Putin's top advisers is openly gay. So, saying "Trump is going to turn the names over to the Russian government" and implying the Russian government is going to kill/maim these people, is an outright lie.
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In the UK under Labour (liberals) they told gay refugees to stop being gay and sent them back.
(((Deflection))) Avoid talking about an issue by bringing up another issue.
NOPE.
Just because it makes liberals look like hypocrites, doesn't mean it's deflection.
We're talking; apples vs apples here.
It's like how liberals get butt hurt when Obama is brought up, unless it suits your narrative.
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NOPE.
Just because it makes liberals look like hypocrites, doesn't mean it's deflection.
We're talking; apples vs apples here.
It's like how liberals get butt hurt when Obama is brought up, unless it suits your narrative.
Comparing the british system with the american system is comparing apples to oranges, a false equivalence if thefe ever was one. Labour and tories have different views regarding a host of social issues, views that differ greatly from the American democrats a d republicans. For one, the religious angle is completely lost on the British system, while it is a dominant element in American politics.
But why talk about the british and their politicians in a thread about the USA and chechnya? Last time I checked the UK is not the USA and neither is it Chechnya
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Liberals are liberals, even if they aren't in the same country.
It's extremely telling that you guys don't want to talk about a liberal government telling gays to stop being gay and sending them back, but you are happy to slag off a conservative government doing it.
Can we say "echo chamber"?
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The persecution of gays in Chechnya really depresses me. This is why voting is so critical. I am sending my love, prayers, thoughts and wishes for a better life for all LGBT in Chechnya. There but before the grace of God go I.
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