The EU’s LGBTI Guidelines are a key tool to combat persecution against LGBTI people outside the EU, and promote human rights, including LGBTI human rights, worldwide.

Over the course of the last year, several widespread persecutions of (perceived) LGBT people have taken place, most notably in Chechnya and Azerbaijan. The month of April 2018 marked one year since the Russian newspaper Novaya Gazeta reported that at least 100 men were detained in unofficial prisons on suspicion of being LGBT in Chechnya, Russia, and suffered severe torture and humiliation.

Yet despite overwhelming testimonies from over 100 victims, including one coming forth publicly, an independent and transparent investigation has yet to take place, while Chechen authorities continue to spout open hate speech against LGBT people.

– What steps has the Commission taken in the past year to resolve this ongoing crisis?

– More specifically, what has the Commission done to support civil society and the government in Russia to start a transparent and independent investigation, and offer adequate support and redress for victims?

– How is the Commission ensuring respect for the human rights of LGBTI people, in Russia and elsewhere, with regard to the EU’s LGBTI Guidelines?