UPDATE - 04 October 2017: All four Russian activists detained during our petition delivery have had their hearings and were fined 10,000 rubles - around US$175. They have appealed the decision and are now awaiting the appeal hearing. All charges against our campaigner Yuri, who was also detained during the delivery, were dropped.

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UPDATE - 04 July 2017: For a while, it seemed as though new arrests of gay men had stopped, but the Russian LGBT Network has learned from survivors contacting their hotline for help that arrests have just resumed. Moreover, there is evidence now of at least 6 people who died in the purge.

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UPDATE - 12 May 2017: All five activists – among them Yuri, a campaigner for All Out – have been released from detention and are safe. A trial is set for May 29. We started a fundraising campaign to help pay for fines and other emergency costs incurred by the detentions. Please chip in to help us continue to campaign fearlessly with our partners on the ground, until there is justice for the gay men persecuted in Chechnya: https://go.allout.org/en/a/detained-in-moscow/

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UPDATE - 11 May 2017: Some of our partners have just been detained in Moscow trying to deliver signatures against the anti-gay crackdown in Chechnya. We are following closely and will continue to share updates as more information becomes available.

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UPDATE - 5 May 2017: Thanks to international pressure, Russian authorities finally declared the initiation of a federal investigation into the situation in Chechnya, after delegating it to regional authorities. Now we need to make sure it is carried out properly and all those responsible for the arrests, torture, and killings of gay men are brought to justice.

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Gay men are being kidnapped and killed in Chechnya, Russia.

Over the weekend, horrifying news broke that more than 100 men have been arrested under suspicion of being gay. There are reports of people being tortured, beaten, and forced to share information about other gay men in the region. At least three men have been murdered.

The official response from Chechen authorities is that "gay people do not even exist in Chechnya."

Demand that Federal Russian authorities immediately investigate these atrocities and bring to justice all those responsible for the arrests, torture, and killings of gay men in Chechnya.

This campaign is being run in conjunction with the Russian LGBT Network. All Out is also running an emergency fundraiser to help the Russian LGBT Network evacuate and support gay men at risk of being captured and tortured in Chechnya. You can make a donation here.

Published on April 4, 2017.