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Kremlin says Putin and Trump may discuss gay rights issue in Chechnya

Ramzan Kadyrov earlier said that regional authorities were ready to cooperate with federal agencies in order to look into media reports about the situation with sexual minorities in the region
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov  Mikhail Metzel/TASS
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov
© Mikhail Metzel/TASS

MOSCOW, July 6. /TASS/. US President Donald Trump’s possible question on the LGBT rights in Russia’s North Caucasus republic of Chechnya at the upcoming meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin won’t be left unanswered, Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters on Thursday.

"If there is such a question [on gay rights] then there will be an answer," Peskov said, pledging: "We will inform you if this issue is raised."

Peskov refused to give more details and comment on an open letter published by President of the Human Rights Campaign (HRC), Chad Griffin, who called on Trump to address the gay rights in Chechnya.

"This is a letter of a US organization to the US president. Probably, this is an issue for discussion between the US organization and the head of the United States," Peskov said.

Putin and Trump are expected to hold a meeting on July, 7 in Germany’s Hamburg on the sidelines of the G20 summit.

On April 1, Novaya Gazeta published an article on its website entitled "Murder of Dignity" which referred to some alleged abductions and possible killings of Chechen residents over their non-traditional sexual orientations or on suspicion of being gay. The paper cited anonymous sources in law enforcement agencies and also victims, without revealing their names.

Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov earlier said that regional authorities were ready to cooperate with federal agencies in order to look into media reports about the situation with sexual minorities in the region. However, no official reports on their persecution have been received yet.