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The Chechen government’s brutal campaign against gays has understandably aroused a strong reaction in the West. In recent months, Chechen President Ramzan Kadyrov, a notorious strongman closely allied with the Kremlin, has directed his police forces to round up gay men, torture them, and sometimes even kill them. In mid-April, former US vice-president Joe Biden said that he was “disgusted and appalled” by reports of the brutal crackdown and urged President Donald Trump to raise the issue directly with the Kremlin, though Trump did not respond. And on May 2, in a meeting with Russian President Putin in Sochi, German Chancellor Angela Merkel discussed her concerns about the persecution of Chechen gays: “I…spoke about the very negative report about what is happening to homosexuals in Chechnya and asked Mr. President to exert his influence to ensure that minorities’ rights are protected.” Numerous other European governments have weighed in as well. Unfortunately, Western pressure, even from such a powerful leader as Merkel, is unlikely to make a difference. This is because of the Kremlin’s complicated relationship with Kadyrov, whose rule has brought Chechnya finally under Russian control, but has also been characterized by rampant corruption and widespread human rights abuses.
full: http://www.nybooks.com/daily/2017/05/19/putins-monster-ramzan-kadyrov/ _________________________________________________________ Full posting guidelines at: http://www.marxmail.org/sub.htm Set your options at: http://lists.csbs.utah.edu/options/marxism/archive%40mail-archive.com
