Former Vice President Joe Biden on
Friday condemned reports of police in Chechnya torturing and killing
men suspected of being gay or bisexual.
“I am disgusted and appalled by
reports from both the Russian media and non-governmental
organizations that authorities in the Russian republic of Chechnya
have rounded up, tortured, and even murdered individuals who are
believed to be gay,” Biden said in a statement.
“Every man or woman on this earth is
entitled to be treated with dignity – to live without fear and to
love freely. Unfortunately, the human rights abuses perpetrated by
Chechen authorities and the culture of impunity that surrounds them
means that these hate crimes are unlikely to ever be properly
investigated or that the perpetrators will see justice. But that does
not mean that we should fail to defend basic human rights,
fundamental freedoms, and universal values,” he added.
Russian newspaper Novaya Gaceta
broke the story, reporting earlier this month that more than 100 men
have been detained and three killed in the anti-gay campaign,
including several well-known local television personalities and
religious figures.
According to NBC News, the paper's
website was attacked on Thursday and the newspaper reported that it
had been threatened by Chechen leaders.
A spokesman for Russian President
Vladimir Putin has denied the reports, saying that he does “not
have any reliable information about any problems” in Chechnya, a
Muslim-majority republic of Russia.
(Related: Vladimir
Putin says he does not have “reliable information” on Chechnya
gay persecution.)
Biden called on the Trump
administration to address the growing crisis.
“I hope that the current
administration lives up to the promises it has made to advance human
rights for everyone by raising this issue directly with Russia’s
leaders. The United States must lead the way to demand an end to
these egregious violations of human rights,” Biden said.