Chechnya’s abuse of gays decried by panel

UN experts demanded on Thursday that Chechnya halt the abduction, detention, beating and killing of gay and bisexual men.

Since last month, reports have circulated within Russia that local militias and security forces have been hunting down, detaining and abusing men they perceived to be gay or bisexual. “These are acts of persecution and violence on an unprecedented scale in the region, and constitute serious violations of the obligations of the Russian Federation under international human rights law,” panel of five experts, which advises the UN Human Rights Council, said in a statement.