Boris Johnson, the Foreign Secretary, has condemned the alleged detention of over 100 gay men in Chechnya, calling on Russian authorities to investigate the alarming situation in the provincial region.

The claims from human rights campaigners and local media suggest that men suspected of being gay are being held in “camps” in Chechnya and are subject to torture and beatings. Novaya Gazeta, a Russian newspaper, which carried the claims, added that three men are believed to have been killed in the barbaric anti-gay campaign.

In a statement, Baroness Anelay, a foreign office minister, called on Russian authorities to investigation the mass detention of gay men and ensure the perpetrators are brought to justice.

“The detention and ill-treatment of over 100 gay men in Chechnya is extremely concerning. Reports have also suggested that at least three of these men have been killed,” she said.

“The statement by the regional Government, implying that such treatment towards LGBT is acceptable, is particularly abhorrent. The human rights situation for LGBT people in Russia has deteriorated significantly in recent years and we continue to voice our concern with Russian authorities at all levels.”

On his Twitter account, Mr Johnson said it was “outrageous Chechnya govt supports rather than stops ill-treatment of LGBT people”, adding he agreed with Baroness Anelay’s statement.

On Wednesday evening hundreds of people gathered outside the Russian embassy in central London to protest the barbaric treatment of gay men in the region, chanting “close the camps” and “queer rights are human rights”.

According to the Novaya Gazeta report, the sweep began when a Moscow gay rights group began filing requests for demonstrations in Russia's provincial cities. Although the group had not focused on the predominantly Muslim North Caucasus region, including Chechnya, the petitions galvanised a local drive to round up gay men.

“In Chechnya, the command was given for a 'prophylactic sweep' and it went as far as real murders,” Novaya Gazeta reported, saying the authorities searched for closeted gay men partly by posing as men seeking dates on social media websites.

The newspaper also noted that none of the men detained had been open about their homosexuality in a society where it is still strictly taboo.

LGBT+ rights around the globe Show all 9 1 /9 LGBT+ rights around the globe LGBT+ rights around the globe Russia Russia’s antipathy towards homosexuality has been well established following the efforts of human rights campaigners. However, while it is legal to be homosexual, LGBT couples are offered no protections from discrimination. They are also actively discriminated against by a 2013 law criminalising LGBT “propaganda” allowing the arrest of numerous Russian LGBT activists. AFP/Getty LGBT+ rights around the globe Brunei Brunei recently introduced a law to make sodomy punishable by stoning to death. It was already illegal and punishable by up to 10 years in prison AFP/Getty LGBT+ rights around the globe Mauritania Men who are found having sex with other men face stoning, while lesbians can be imprisoned, under Sharia law. However, the state has reportedly not executed anyone for this ‘crime’ since 1987 Alamy LGBT+ rights around the globe Sudan Both male and female same-sex sexual activity is illegal under Sudanese law. Men can be executed on their third offence, women on their fourth Getty LGBT+ rights around the globe Saudi Arabia Homosexuality and gender realignment is illegal and punishable by death, imprisonment, whipping and chemical castration Getty LGBT+ rights around the globe Yemen The official position within the country is that there are no gays. LGBT inviduals, if discovered by the government, are likely to face intense pressure. Punishments range from flogging to the death penalty Getty LGBT+ rights around the globe Nigeria Both male and female same-sex sexual activity is illegal and in some northern states punishable with death by stoning. This is not a policy enacted across the entire country, although there is a prevalent anti-LGBT agenda pushed by the government. In 2007 a Pew survey established that 97% of the population felt that homosexuality should not be accepted. It is punishable by 14 years in prison Reuters LGBT+ rights around the globe Somalia Homosexuality was established as a crime in 1888 and under new Somali Penal Code established in 1973 homosexual sex can be punishable by three years in prison. A person can be put to death for being a homosexual Reuters LGBT+ rights around the globe Iraq Although same-sex relationships have been decriminalised, much of the population still suffer from intense discrimination. Additionally, in some of the country over-run by the extremist organisation Isis, LGBT individuals can face death by stoning Getty

According to Reuters, while authorities could not be reached for comment, a spokesman for the region’s president, Ramzan Kadyrov, denied the allegation to the media, adding that gay men did no exist in Chechnya.

Amnesty International added there were reports some of the abducted men have since been returned to their families, “possibly because their sexual orientation was not confirmed by their captors” but “remain in grave danger because of local homophobic intolerance”.

Kathy Voss, the organisation’s urgent cases coordinator, said: “As you’d expect there’s enormous concern over these horrifying reports and our activists want to be at the Russia Embassy this evening to register that.

“Chechnya has been a dangerous place for gay people for a long time, but in recent years the atmosphere right across Russia has become increasingly poisonous, with homophobic language from officials and repressive new laws.