13 February 2019, 17:53
Russian Ombudsperson intervenes into Bekkhan Yusupov's dispute with "Novaya Gazeta"
On February 12, the Russian Ombudsperson, Tatiana Moskalkova, asked the prosecutor's office to react to the claims of a Chechen resident to the "Novaya Gazeta" newspaper, which wrote about his detention because of his suspected homosexuality.
The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that on February 1, Bekkhan Yusupov announced on air of the Chechen TV that he was detained by law enforcers for keeping some rusty cartridges, of which he wanted to make a trinket. He refuted the version that he was detained because of his suspected homosexuality, and accused the "Novaya Gazeta" of slander.
The fact that Bekkhan Yusupov was detained in Chechnya during a new wave of detentions and torture of homosexuals was reported on January 29 by the Russian LGBT Network. This resident of Chechnya had received asylum in France, but came home to visit relatives and stopped communicating, while his friends found out that Yusupov was kept along with others persons suspected of homosexuality, the "Novaya Gazeta" reported.
The Russian Ombudsperson, Tatiana Moskalkova, has addressed the Russia's Deputy Prosecutor General in connection with the demand of the hero of the publication of the "Novaya Gazeta" to protect his honour and dignity. Bekkhan Yusupov has stated in a telephone conversation that he had not been kidnapped; and the information in the "Novaya Gazeta" 'was unacceptable for him'," Ms Moskalkova has stated.
Bekkhan Yusupov has promised to sue the newspaper. He did it at a press conference held at the Chechen branch of the Russian Bar Association. "They should officially apologize first of all. Secondly, I want this kind of media to not exist in Russia at all," said Yusupov.
This article was originally published on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’ on February 13, 2019 at 01:54 pm MSK. To access the full text of the article, click here.
Source: CK correspondents
