No proof of persecution of gays, top Russian officials say
Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov told reporters Monday that Russian officials haven’t seen any information confirming the reports but added that Moscow is concerned about “any human rights violations.”
Lavrov was speaking at a joint news conference with European Union foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini, who said she raised human rights at talks with Lavrov earlier in the day and met rights activists to discuss the reports of persecution.
Rights activists and Chechnya experts say it is improbable that any gay person will ever come out publicly as a victim of abuse in Chechnya because of the deep-seated homophobia in the North Caucasus and fear of reprisal to their families.