On the occasion of the International Day Against Homophobia, the assembled presidents of the PES, Rainbow Rose, PES Women, Young European Socialists and European Senior Organisation affirm their solidarity against homophobic and transphobic violence.
Ongoing allegations of abductions, torture and extrajudicial killings of LGBTI people in Chechnya highlight the urgent need to protect victims of homophobic and transphobic violence and end the impunity of perpetrators.
Sergei Stanishev, PES president, said:
“Homophobic and transphobic violence deprive LGBTI people of their rights, violate their human dignity and condemn them to a life of secrecy and fear.
“This cannot be tolerated, any more than we can accept the denial or trivialisation of such acts. All states should strongly condemn homophobic and transphobic violence and support and protect individuals trying to escape such acts, wherever they are perpetrated. Equality and dignity cannot be achieved without this.”
Commenting on the reports from Chechnya, Mia Sundelin, president of PES LGBTI organisation Rainbow Rose, said:
“In recent weeks we continue to hear terrible reports from Chechnya that LGBTI men are deported, tortured and murdered. The issue has faded from our news headlines, but it is still a huge problem.
“As an open and democratic society, we cannot stand quietly by and watch this happen. We must offer asylum to those who need it, and find ways to make their situation sustainable in the long term. We are talking about not only the men themselves, but also their families, wives and children. We must get clear assurances from the Russian and Chechnyan authorities about their investigations into these reports.”
Also supporting the PES stance against homophobic and transphobic violence are:
- Zita Gurmai, president of PES Women
- João Albuquerque, president of Young European Socialists
- Jos Bertrand, president of European Senior Organisation