Gay men and women in Germany ‘are being terrorised by an armed Chechen gang’
A gang of armed Chechen men in Berlin are reportedly terrorising women and gay men.
Around 100 men are said to belong to the violent group.
As well as women deemed “immoral”, Chechens who sought asylum in Germany during the widely reported purge of gay men have also been targeted by the extremist Islamic group.
An armed chechan gang in Berlin is targeting Chechen women and gay men
Explainer: What is happening with gay people in Chechnya?
Earlier this week two young Chechen women and a man were attacked and beaten by the gang, German news outlet Tagesspiegel reports.
Two other women have also been threatened, reports the International Business Times.
A video has apparently been shared with the Chechen community showing a man with his face covered pointing a gun at the camera and making various threats.
The man claims that some Chechen women and “men who look like women” – presumably referring to the gay and trans community – are doing “unspeakable things”.
“We will punish them if the occasion presents itself,” he adds.
He then claims that the group has 80 members, adding that they want more people to join the gang.
“Those who have lost their national mentality, who flirt with men of other ethnic groups and marry them, Chechen women who have chosen the wrong path and those who call themselves Chechen men – given half a chance, we will set all of them straight,” he continues.
“We are coming onto the streets. Don’t say you weren’t warned. Don’t say you didn’t know.”
Some members of the Chechen community told Tagesspiegel that there are up to 100 members in the group, and their leaders have military experience.
The Berlin state security responsible for investigating politically-motivated crimes has taken over the investigation.
