Current Affairs

Kremlin insists Chechnya leader’s gay purge comments were ‘out of context’, despite video clip

Jul 17 2017
Written by Nick Duffy

ST.PETERSBURG, RUSSIAN FEDERATION: Russian President Vladimir Putin (L) speaks to Chechen Prime Minister Ramzan Kadyrov during their meeting at the Kremlin in Moscow, 05 May 2006. The pro-Russian prime minister of Chechnya, Ramzan Kadyrov, said 02 May that his militia, accused of conducting a reign of terror, was being reassigned and placed under Russian command. "The structures no longer exist," the Itar-Tass news agency cited Kadyrov as saying about transferring responsibility for the militia which until now was part of the Chechen anti-terrorist unit. AFP PHOTO / ITAR-TASS / PRESIDENTIAL PRESS SERVICE (Photo credit should read SERGEI ZHUKOV/AFP/Getty Images)

Russian President Vladimir Putin with Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov (Getty)

Vladimir Putin’s spokesperson has insisted that the leader of Chechnya was taken “out of context” after an video interview in which he said gays are not people.

The Head of the Chechen Republic, Ramzan Kadyrov, has been accused of violating human rights laws to ‘purge’ the region’s gay community.

In an interview with HBO over the weekend, he insisted that homosexuals are “not people” and should be eradicated to “purify” the blood of the region.

Ramzan Kadyrov

When he was challenged about the country’s homophobic purge, the 40-year-old tyrant said: “Why did he come here? What’s the point of these questions? This is nonsense. We don’t have those kinds of people here.

“We don’t have any gays. If there are any, take them to Canada.

“Praise be to God. Take them far from us so we don’t have them at home. To purify our blood, if there are any here, take them.

“They are devils. They are for sale. They are not people…. they will have to answer to the Almighty for this.”

Despite a video clip of the leader’s verbatim words, the Kremlin is incredibly trying to insist he was taken “out of context”.

Vladimir Putin’s spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told reporters: “As for Kadyrov’s interview, frankly speaking, very often, his words are taken out of context.”

He insisted that “nothing out of the ordinary was said there”, when considered “in context”.

Watch the full clip below:

What is happening with gay people in Chechnya?

Pressed on Chechnya previously, Peskov said: “We have taken note of [the reports]. We have similarly taken note of the denials of this information by Chechen law enforcement bodies.

“The information is of an anonymous character. It’s unclear what the source of this information is.

“So this is all I can say for now.”