Welcome to Chechnya (2020) - full transcript

For their safety,

people fleeing for their lives
have been digitally disguised.

Hello !

- Hello !
- Sorry it took me a while.

Can you talk now ?

Yes...

Tell me how critical the situation is

and why you assume your father
is a threat.

My uncle found out about
my sexual orientation.

He says if I don't have sex with him,

he'll tell my father.



And if he does ?

My father won't tolerate it.

He's in the Chechen government.

He's going to kill me for sure.

If I leave on my own,
I'm no professional.

I don't think I can cover my tracks.

He'll find me.

He'll find you.

Do you want to be relocated
to a different region of Russia ?

No, I want to leave.

I'm scared.

We're coming, Anya. Stay strong.

At the end of March,

we began receiving information
from Chechnya in the south of Russia



about the mass detention of gays.

Initially it was just bits of
information. People being detained,

tortured, electrocuted

on orders of the Chechen leader.

Resisting the Chechen police
is totally useless.

It's a disgrace to be gay in Chechnya.

And for a family to find out that
someone is gay ?

It is a shame so strong,
it can only be washed away by blood.

Russian Federation officials
did nothing to stop it.

Everything happened so fast.

Could anything have prepared us for
what happened in Chechnya in 2017 ?

And what happened afterward ?

No.

Video intercepted by LGBT activists:
Chechen youths caught in a car

Come here.
Bring that fag into the light.

Turn the lights on, turn the lights on.

I've been looking for you
for three months.

All our problems are because of people
like you.

Tell us what you were doing.

Were you kissing him ?

Say what he was doing.
He was trying to kiss me.

I swear, no.

- You were kissing him ?
- No, I swear.

Let me punch that thing in the face.

We are going to kill you.

WELCOME TO CHECHNYA

David Isteev

Crisis Response Coordinator,
The Russian LGBT Network

Imagine in the 21st century,

in a supposedly secular country,

you have cases where people are killed
simply because they are homosexual...

Where they are maimed...

Where the families of these people
are urged to kill their children

and siblings.

It's unreal.

Chechnya is a largely Muslim state,

a completely closed society
with its own customs and language.

Everything started by chance.

In the winter of 2017,
there was a drug raid.

And when the Chechen police took
one person's phone,

they found

explicit gay photographs
and text messages.

That is how this story began.

They tortured him,
forcing him to turn in others.

It was a chain reaction.

People were arrested,

and each turned in another 10 people
who automatically got tortured.

Later,
they were given to their relatives,

who were advised to kill them.

We made a decision to rescue people
and get them out of Russia altogether.

And there's nothing better than
word of mouth in Chechnya.

My phone number went from person
to person. People sent messages.

We had to create something
that never existed before.

We decided to set up a secret
shelter in Moscow.

In two weeks, we got 15 people
out of the Chechen Republic.

And that was just the beginning.

MOSCOW

Hey Olga, how are you ?

How are all our "friends" doing ?

How is everything with you, all good ?

Hey, yes all is well.

Olga Baranova

Director, Moscow Community Center
for LGBT+ Initiatives

Olga, bad news.
His visa was denied again.

So what are you going to do with him ?

He can't just stay in the shelter
forever.

THE SHELTER

Hello.

- Which country are you going to ?
- Canada.

Wait, to Canada ?
I thought it was Belgium.

"Akhmad", 30

So on Tuesday and Wednesday
you'll have orientation.

And fly out on Thursday if you have
a ticket. I'll double check now.

- Did you have your physical exam ?
- Yes.

When it all started,

we all understood
it was a catastrophe,

that it was a question of saving not
just two or three people,

but hundreds of people.

We had to hide them because
they were being hunted.

We developed strict security protocols.

Now we are about to do
emergency placement

and try to get the
international community involved.

- I'll be here ?
- Yes, we'll be sleeping together.

You know what, I'll give you my bed.

It's like a Mexican soap opera here.

- This is for German television, right?
- Yes.

- So my face won't be visible ?
- Of course not.

- Will they change my voice ?
- Of course.

Maybe I should take the jacket off ?
It's identifiable.

- That jacket ?
- Yes.

He'll be in the dark, right ?
It won't be visible, right ?

No, it won't be visible.

I know this is a difficult conversation
for you, but it's an important one.

We want to help.
Tell us what happened to you.

Well, it started in February.

I met this guy online,
and then we went to his place.

I entered his studio apartment.
And the police were in the bathroom.

They tied me up and took me
to Argun Prison.

Every room had six or eight people.
I nearly passed out.

The smell was unbearable.

They said
if I don't want to be tortured,

then I have to turn in others like me.

They obviously didn't believe that I
don't know anyone. So they tortured me.

They would tie wires to these fingers
and electrocute us.

They broke my nose, too.

And once we recovered, they started
again with electric shock and batons.

I felt sorry for the people
who were tortured worse.

They put a rat on someone's back and
a pot over it. They heated the pot.

The rat would claw through the back
trying to get out.

I heard someone died that way.

But a lot of people died there.

Some couldn't bear the torture.

They said that this can't go on, that
people like me should be killed.

They said we aren't Chechens.

CHECHNYA

Chechnya is controlled by Ramzan
Kadyrov, the Kremlin-backed strongman.

His Instagram feed regularly shows
himself and his fighters

as he wants all Chechens to be:

fit, faithful, and ferocious in battle.

Russian President Vladimir Putin
named Ramzan Kadyrov

president of Chechnya in 2007.

Chechnya continues to depend on aid
from Moscow,

enough to satisfy every whim
of its erratic leader.

Ramzan Kadyrov is left to run
this remote region of Russia

by his own rules.

We're here today to thank
our great patriot,

our great national leader, our
commander-in-chief, Vladimir Putin.

We will never forget the very tough
times our people went through,

and how our President Vladimir Putin
always supported us.

It's obvious where Putin stands.

If they told him that gays are being
killed, he wouldn't give a damn.

A group of LGBT activists demanded
a meeting with Moscow's prosecutor,

armed with two million signatures,

a petition calling on the Kremlin
to investigate claims

of a violent crackdown
on gays in Chechnya.

But before they could deliver
their petition,

they were arrested for protesting
without permission.

Putin uses homophobia
and "traditional values"

as tools to consolidate his power.

Kadyrov just takes it all
to the extreme.

Why the fuck are you dressed
like that ?

- I'm coming from a costume party.
- Take that.

Being gay, lesbian, or transgender
in Russia

can get you killed or maimed.

And no one will be held accountable
for it.

It happened under Stalin, Hitler.

And hello.
Now Putin and Kadyrov.

It doesn't matter who.

The point is, a group of people is
identified for extermination.

Without charge or trial.
That's it.

Kadyrov and his people openly say
they are cleansing the republic.

For them this is a noble cause.

Is Putin responsible for
what is happening in Chechnya ?

Let's say he isn't the torturer.

But is he responsible for what's going
on in his country ? Yes.

He doesn't mess with Kadyrov
because Kadyrov does his bidding.

It's politics.
People have nothing to do with it.

We have soup. We have noodles.
Take what you want.

"Grisha", 30

We're pretty safe here.
Nobody knows the address.

Well, they already came here
more than once.

Only as far as the guardhouse.

And a second time
when we were alone here.

There was a strange noise at the door,
and the key started to jiggle.

She told me not to open it.

- Of course you shouldn't.
- I would have opened it.

It's one thing to talk
about the dangers and risks, and

it's completely different when
something fucked up is happening.

If they want to get us, they will.
They won't make a scene.

Instead they will wait for one of us,
someone specific,

to leave the shelter.

There could be some dude on my train,
who gets off at my stop.

The door closes and you disappear
like you were never in Russia.

- That's only if you are from Chechnya.
- I'm not from Chechnya.

I've traveled around Russia a lot
in the past five years,

working as a presenter
and event planner.

And I went to Chechnya for my job
with the All-Russian Honey Fair.

I liked Chechnya a lot.

The people were great...

Their kindness and their readiness to
help, I mean ordinary people.

And so, when the gay persecution began,

It was a huge shock for me. I couldn't
understand how these kind people...

could treat people so violently,
with such cruelty.

Gay people who never did anything
to them.

Being abducted and tortured
changes you.

That period of time broke me
really hard.

When I was leaving Chechnya,
I could barely crawl.

What got me through
it was thinking of my boyfriend.

We have been together for 10 years.

I'm glad he wasn't with me in Chechnya.

We haven't seen each other for a year,

But he's coming early in the morning
from our hometown up north.

I want to see him so badly.

I'm really anxious right now.

When I called to wake him up
so he wouldn't miss his flight,

his entire family was up
and seeing him off.

Do they know that
he's moving to be with you ?

Yes.

It's hard to leave everything behind.

I mean, he didn't have to come.

He was supposed to get another degree,
but dropped out...

just so he could come with me.

- Is this one yours ?
- No. You'll see a guy with a guitar.

I'm waiting for my dumpling.

My hands are trembling.

I'm going to die right now.

There he is.

- Let me help you.
- Take this.

Welcome.

Ok, enough, not in public.

- Nobody knows us here.
- I don't care.

Everyone in the shelter
takes a new name, to be safe.

So who else could you be ?

- Doesn't matter.
- Well, just think about it.

- What ?
- Donald Duck.

- Verona.
- That will stick.

I don't think so,
but Grisha stuck to me.

Feels like I was born with this name.

- Avaz ? Agap, Augustin, Abram.
- No, not those.

Bahram, Boris, Bles, Borislav,
Bogdan.

Let's do Bogdan.

Bogdan.

"Bogdan", 30

An excellent name.

- You think so ?
- 100%.

I leave my stuff here, on top.

See if there's room.

What are you doing ?
You're so strong.

What else happened during
this Canadian orientation ?

They explained how to behave
and what it's like there.

Everything's expensive.
We'll all be hobos.

There's just two things
we can't escape there.

Death and...

Taxes.

How to act with Canadians...

You need to smile, maintain eye
contact, and respect personal space.

These are from a month
after they released me.

On this leg I had serious bruises.
They hit me with clubs.

Your legs look so swollen, it's crazy.

This scarring,
I had bruises there for a long time.

Here was a very serious bruise,
the whole leg.

When they grabbed me,
I was actually at work.

They came at night,
grabbed me by my arms.

"Let's go." And dragged me.

There was a fence there.

Four of them threw me over the fence
and stuffed me into a car.

Interrogated and threatened me.

Took my phone and asked about
every contact.

"Who's this, who's this, who's this ?"

Then they found the chat history
with this guy I was talking to,

and we immediately started driving to
get the guy.

I called him, and I told him
to come out, I'm on my way.

That's it. They grabbed him and brought
us back. They beat him brutally.

And then, when they figured that
I don't know anyone else,

then they beat me up.

I started to lower my hands
to cover the blows.

They hit my hands.
Here I have on this hand...

It was all torn here.
I had a piece of flesh hanging off.

I don't even know how to describe
this pain.

I've never seen people getting beaten
so brutally.

The 10 or so days that I spent there,

I was waiting every hour...
Literally waiting for them...

to put a bag on my head, drive off,
and bury me.

Because that's what they said:
"You won't come out alive."

But they just released me,
sent me to a bus station,

for me to leave Chechnya
and never come back.

Plus, they filmed me saying

who I am, where I'm from,
what I've done.

"I was caught because I'm gay,

because I'm here in the republic."

Like, "Gays have no place here

and that's why I was brought here
by the police."

You have nothing to worry about.
The scariest part is over.

- I love you.
- I hope they get punished.

- I love you.
- I love you, too.

You're my hero.

And the tomatoes, where are they ?

Sweetie.

Come on.

- Hello.
- Cutie pie.

Come on in, gorgeous.

Such a cutie patootie.

Such a good kid,
but why are you so skinny ?

- Why hasn't Grandma fattened you up ?
- This is him fattened up.

Before the Moscow Community Center,
in my previous life,

I worked in advertising.

And when I gave birth to Filip,

I realized that I want my child
to grow up knowing

other families like ours,

so that he didn't think
he was abnormal,

an idea they like to force on us
in this country.

He's very fashionable.
Look at the way he wears his hat.

We're all quite different.

I used to be a journalist, and ran
programs for transgender people.

We have photographers.
We have musicians.

A Russian language teacher
became our evacuation coordinator.

A person from academia became
our liaison with the embassies.

Attention.

Let's start with news
from the battlefield.

In general, the situation...

Isn't getting any better.
We have more people asking for help.

We got a new guy, and a girl.

The guy has been very traumatized.

They are so scared that
they won't even see a psychologist.

None of us had any experience
hiding people,

or looking for visas and secret ways
to get people out of the country.

Receiving 25 people a month...

That's a lot.

We had to establish connections
with foreign partners.

They help us financially.
They help us logistically.

We actually managed to unite

almost all existing LGBT organizations
in the world,

in order to evacuate people
from Russia.

- Finish your meeting.
- Hang on, baby.

Good luck in Canada, you homos.
Don't fuck the first guy you see, ok ?

- The second guy then.
- Yes, only with the second one.

You'll get there so sex-starved.

Not me.

But you bitches are so horny.
You usually hump the wall, right ?

I hope they won't be making fun of
my accent.

Well, after some time it'll go away.

- Did you fill out the paperwork ?
- No, I didn't.

Let's do it.
I think there's a sample, right ?

- Full first, middle, and last names ?
- Yes. Your real name.

I'm feeling sad today.

Everyone lives here for around
two weeks, 15 days at most.

We became a family,
even with difficult personalities.

So it's hard to leave now.
I got used to everyone.

Some can call and hear the voices of
their relatives.

Even talk in their mother tongue.

But I can't anymore,
I can't ever call anyone.

I won't have a chance to speak
my language anymore.

And I will never in my life
hear the voice of my relatives.

Oh, fuck. Grab whatever you see...
Bandages, everything you see.

He cut his wrist.

Bandages. Hurry.
Bring napkins please.

Are you fucking insane ? Why are you
creating problems for us ?

Don't create fucking problems for us.

Fucking leave for Canada, or anywhere,
but don't do this here.

You'll have plenty of fucking time
to die.

It's ok, it's ok...

There are other people here
besides you.

No one is mad,
but what was he thinking we would do ?

There, my darling.

Talk to me. Talk to me.
Talk to me.

Maybe we should call an ambulance
for him ?

We can't call the ambulance,
we can't give the shelter's address.

Can't we take him to an emergency
clinic ?

We're not calling anyone, for now.

Let's go.
Canada is waiting for you.

- Have a safe trip.
- Thank you.

I don't know what I would have done
without you.

Oh, come on. Without us, you'd be doing
something. Good luck.

Many of our people
are already there.

You'll adapt there.

Don't disappear.
I'll come visit you.

Thank you for being so good.

May Allah keep you safe. Stay strong.

Alright. Let's go.

Be safe.
Good luck.

Video intercepted by LGBT activists:

A Chechen woman and her relatives

Genocide in Chechnya
isn't only about gay men.

It affects lesbians, too.

They get locked up at home
where they're battered.

No one hears anything about it.

And they simply die
from physical violence.

Because no one can help them.

These girls,
the women who decide to leave,

for them it's a very big step.

She can't travel on her own.

They require more intervention
from the activists.

More immersion, more attention.

And it's a higher risk.

Anya.

I don't know how you could leave a girl
in her situation.

Either she agrees to have sex
with her uncle,

in exchange for silence
about her homosexuality...

Or she'll get the same as other girls
like her.

To keep this a secret,
to wash the disgrace from her family,

they will quietly, discreetly kill her.

Her father is a high-ranking official.

He has access to practically
every resource.

We didn't have much time
because of this.

Maximum, we had two or three hours
to remove her from the republic,

and take her as far away as possible.

Welcome to Chechnya.

GROZNY

I brought two teams.

One team to distract,
and the other to extract.

They would pretend to be family friends
taking her dress shopping.

- Thank God.
- Hello.

Finally.

Sit.
We'll sit for a bit.

Can I take your phone ?

How is everything ?

Is everything great ? That's great.
It is all great.

We'll go get you some new clothes.

"Anya", 21

You'll tell us everything.
The road is long.

We'll follow them
in case there's trouble.

At any moment they could call her,
realize the number isn't available,

and alert the checkpoints.

Take us to Vladikavkaz.
To a dress boutique.

We'll meet up with them
and then race to the airport.

- What should I say ?
- That you're going to see a friend.

Today or tomorrow they'll put you
on a federal wanted list.

We have to get you hidden somewhere.

Just smile and be calm.

Something wrong with the passport ?

- What town are you from ?
- Grozny.

What's the purpose of flying to...

Relatives.

- For how long ?
- For a day.

- Fuck.
- It's all good. Good job.

SOMEWHERE IN EURASIA

I know it's not fancy.

It's just that I have never been left
alone at home, so...

Hopefully you'll only be in this
country for a short time.

You're here because if you'd gone
to Moscow or St. Petersburg,

then we wouldn't have been able
to leave Russia.

By now, your father has reported you
to border patrol.

Tomorrow we'll begin working with...

We'll send them your case.
We'll be working closely with them.

But it will take some time.
I can't guarantee it will be quick.

Being alone is hard.

The local group will get you anything
you need, so you don't have to leave.

Don't go outside.

You'll need patience. This is just
the start, the very beginning.

Now, you need patience.

And understand that everything
we're doing is for your safety.

Because if they find you
and take you back,

a second chance is very unlikely.

Olga, let's tune the piano sometime.

I should probably warn my mom
at least...

- Yeah, are they even expecting you ?
- Yes.

They're probably going crazy already.
I'll call them.

I'm so nervous, like I'm going to see
her for the first time.

I was very surprised that Grisha,
he's ethnically Russian.

His connection with Chechnya
is very indirect.

He worked there, but didn't live there.
Nor was he born there.

When Grisha disappeared in Chechnya,

his relatives filed a missing persons
report.

And after he was freed from Chechnya,

police realized letting him go
was a mistake.

Where they imprisoned him

and what happened to him there
could be revealed outside of Chechnya.

If this came out, it would be a scandal
on the federal level.

They were calling Grisha,
threatening to kill him.

At some point,
his relatives began receiving threats.

The Chechen police threatened to burn
their houses, kill their kids...

And their goal was to bring him back
to Chechnya,

and silence him forever.

So, a month after he came to us,

it became obvious it wasn't just Grisha
we had to take out of Russia,

but his entire family.

We put them all in Moscow safe houses,
trying to figure out what to do next.

Guess who ?

- You're so beautiful.
- Of course.

She didn't have an easy time
accepting that

her son is gay.

She had a hard time accepting it,
but she did.

Because he is a brother, he is a son,
and regardless of what he is,

they stand by him.

And he stands by them.

This isn't bad. There's a lot of space.

Your uncle really missed you.

- Did you find a new boyfriend yet ?
- No.

Then are we going to bring Yegor
with us ?

He doesn't want to come ?

- Did you call him ?
- No.

That's it ? Love is gone ?

I apologized to my sister a lot
for all that's happened.

She had to leave the man she loved.

- Is that where you live ?
- No.

- You live here ?
- With Grandma on the bed.

You live here.

Leaving is very difficult, to leave
your home, everything you own...

I didn't want any of this to happen.

Where's Tikhon ? Is Tikhon there ?
What is Tikhon doing there ?

Is Tikhon smiling ?

Every one of these people
used to live a very different life.

One had a profession,
another was well off.

Who are they now ?

They all are refugees now.

And it's difficult to be a refugee,
wherever you are.

- What color is it ? I'm afraid to ask.
- I don't know what I'll end up with.

- It's supposed to be red.
- Red ?

- Damn, I need a fork.
- Forks are there.

I know...

Are you going to eat ?
There's also fish, macaroni...

We made pizza yesterday.
Grisha also left you some pizza...

Look at this.
They say he's disappeared.

- Who is it ?
- Zelim Bakaev.

Handsome guy.

What do you mean disappeared ?

There hasn't been news about him
for 10 days.

Famous in Chechnya.

Famous enough.

- He was also gay ?
- It's not even clear.

Look. What do you think ?

Chechen pop singer Zelim Bakaev
disappeared from the Chechen capital.

In early August, the young man arrived
in Grozny for his sister's wedding.

At some point he went out
and never returned.

Today his mother appealed to
the head of the Chechen Republic.

The only thing she's asking for is
help in finding her son.

BaBaBaBakaev ?

I saw him once,
when I met with the artists.

He came to visit me.
I have a photo with him.

"Hey, Kadyrov, free Bakaev.

If you don't give him back,
you'll regret it."

They should look for him
within their family.

There are many theories about
what's happened to him.

But nobody has reliable information.

Well, eyewitnesses did see
Chechen police detain him.

We have no doubt it was
due to his sexual orientation.

Hi everyone. I'm Zelim Bakaev.
I'm 26 years old.

I've been interested in music
since I was a child.

I used to dance to Michael Jackson,
and liked to imitate Hollywood stars.

I want everyone to feel the emotions
that I put into my songs.

Handsome.

Can I see ?

I wanted to ask you about the alleged
roundup, abduction,

and torture of gay men in the Republic.

Now we know why he came here.

And what he's getting at
with these questions.

This is nonsense.

We don't have such people here.
We don't have any gays.

If there are any, take them to Canada.

Praise be to God.

To purify our blood.
If there are any here, take them.

But do you not get concerned
when you read these accounts of

young men who say
they've been tortured for days

and delivered to their families
in sacks ?

Does it concern you as a matter of law
and order in the Republic

when you hear these stories ?

They made it up. They are devils.
They are for sale. They are subhuman.

God damn them for slandering us.

They will have to answer to
the Almighty for this.

The Kremlin says allegations about
the persecution of gay Chechens

are unfounded.

According to the head of
the republic, Ramzan Kadyrov,

LGBT people are not being persecuted
in Chechnya.

Today, the spokesman of the president
of Russia said

that the Kremlin had no reason to doubt
Kadyrov's words.

The Chechen government simply denies
the torture.

They'll do whatever it takes
to keep it a secret.

The only thing that could change that
is if a victim of torture goes public.

We discussed this with everyone

who came through our organization.

But everybody knows that
once they open their mouth,

they will become a target of the
Chechen government wherever they go.

Why do we need a person to go public ?
To start an investigation.

Because as they say,
no body, no case.

Someone tried to break in ?

Thank god you locked the doors.

Are you ok ? What happened ?

A few men came to our door.

And one man asked the other,

"Are you sure he lives here ?
Did you see him come in ?"

"Maybe he's sleeping,
why isn't he answering ?"

They rang the bell and wouldn't let up.

They said they'll return tomorrow
morning at 8,

and if he's not here, someone will pay.

This is what we've been dealing with.
That's why we're so alarmed.

It's not good, right ?

Nothing funny about this.

God willing, we'll be ok.

The search for me has started.

David said, "Go immediately."
Without any discussion.

We'll move you tonight
and you'll fly out tomorrow.

You need to leave right now.

- Go pack your luggage.
- Ok, let's go.

If anything... call us. Go, go, go.

Don't talk to the police.

Don't listen, don't react.

We can't panic.

Don't panic.

Where are you putting him ?

Look out the window.
Can you see ?

Keep looking.
It'll be cool when we take off.

I'm having a panic attack.

Ok, finally.

I'm all sweaty.

Goodbye, Russia.

- Hello, do you need help ?
- No.

I'm a hero.

Thank you. This way ?

- I'm Kaper.
- Hi.

- What is it again ? Kaper ?
- Kaper.

SOMEWHERE IN EUROPE

There's a washer, laundry detergent.

You have food for now. Potatoes...

Here's one towel, here's a second one.

You'll get Christina's phone number.
She'll help you.

Ok, pull yourself together.

- Should we leave you for a bit ?
- No, we are fine...

It's just we've been through a lot.

Everything's ok.

You just need to get used to it.

Your apartment is rented
for six months.

Let's see what you have here...

A fridge.
It's safe to drink the tap water.

Alright, get some rest.
We'll bring groceries.

- I don't know how I feel...
- About what ?

- You didn't expect it to be this way ?
- Maybe moving here was a bad idea.

- Bad ?
- I don't know. So many doubts.

- Maybe I'm just afraid.
- Probably.

- It's going to get more serious...
- Choosing a small country over...

You know what else I want to tell you ?

It was not about the country.
We fled because of the people.

It happens in every country.
A person gets some power...

And starts abusing it.

And now there is no going back.

It's not that...

You will go through the procedure
on Friday.

- What kind of procedure ?
- I'm going to tell you.

Tomorrow you will meet
with two lawyers.

They will explain how we will go to
the border patrol

and ask for asylum.

People here are friendly.

Don't be upset that they do not smile.

People are friendly.
It just takes time.

We're all worried.

They'll be searching for us. They'll do
everything they can to shut me up.

I know this for sure.

It was a difficult decision. I didn't
tell Bogdan or anybody at first.

Because to me the most important thing
was their safety.

I finally decided to go to court, fight
for my truth, fight for my rights.

I wholeheartedly believe that...

The law is fundamentally just,
and we can prevail.

COMMITTEE AGAINST TORTURE,
RUSSIA

If I can't protect myself now,

then I'll have to be running
my whole life.

And that's not an option.

Besides you,

we unfortunately don't have anybody
else who will come forward.

I see.
That's really scary.

The goal was not to force others
to press charges,

but to save them from being killed.

Damn, my whole body's shaking.
Hold on, I'll calm down.

It's all fine.
I just have to gather my thoughts.

Whenever you need me, I'm ready.

Ok Grisha, here's the deal. We're going
to secretly fly you to Moscow,

I'll come get you
so we can get started.

We will request government protection.
You might have to be here a while.

MOSCOW

Do you want to turn the camera on ?

How's your visit to Granny's ?

Precious, I understand that you miss me
very much...

Baby, I have to run. There's
an emergency at the airport.

I'll come as soon as I can.

One of the girls who asked for
our help, a girl named Leeza,

she was here for a day.

We changed her appearance a little. Cut
her hair, threw some glasses on her.

And bought her a ticket
on a religious bus tour.

And she's been far away from here
this entire time.

And we were moving her yesterday.

But police detained her in Minsk.

They grabbed her

and there was her father.

There was an hour-long interrogation,
after which she came out in tears

saying she's voluntarily returning
with her father.

That's it.

Hello, hello.

I'm heading to the police station to
file a missing person's report.

I assume she'll fly through Moscow
on the way to Grozny, right ?

I'm going to check the flights.
I'll be writing it now.

Ok, let's go.

We want to submit
a missing person report.

Is it enough to put down my initials ?
My full name ?

- Olga Baranova.
- Yes.

Why aren't you specifying
your relationship to her ?

Tell me what to specify and I will.

- Do you know her personally ?
- Yes, of course.

Where and how did you meet ?

I met her here in Moscow,
when she came from Grozny.

- So she's your acquaintance, right ?
- Yes.

- This Leeza ?
- Yes.

Did she say why she stopped
communicating with her relatives ?

Yes.
That they're threatening her.

- I have it written down.
- Threatening with what ?

They found out that she's a lesbian
and threatened to kill her.

People like that
can't live in Chechnya.

- And you want to find out if she...
- ...has departed or will depart.

I checked everything.

Well, then what can we say ?
That's it ?

We lost her.

Anya, how are you feeling ?

- David ?
- Hello.

What do you want to say ?
You thinking ?

I wanted to ask about the apartment.

I'd like to move to one with...

Maybe some more space
to walk around in.

I'm getting claustrophobic. Three
months in isolation is too much.

I'd like to go for a walk.

I just stay indoors.
I think I'm losing it.

Look, you're in a situation
where you can't really take a walk.

Your safety is the priority. Because if
you are caught, then you're...

- Then you're fucked.
- It's the end.

- I'm not going to party all day long.
- We don't mean that.

It's just not safe to go out.

We've had people who've been
kidnapped while taking out the trash.

People have been attacked,
people have been raped.

They will stop at nothing.

But we will do
what we can about the apartment.

And we still need a country to issue us
a humanitarian visa.

We're trying, but it's getting harder.

Let's be honest.

We'll take the first country that
agrees to take you.

You've got to be patient.
I'm sorry.

- Did you disappear ?
- No, I'm here.

- Ok, stay strong. Bye.
- Bye. Thank you, David.

Video intercepted by LGBT activists:
A North Ossetian man and his captors

Don't scream, bitch.

Turn his fucking face this way.

Toward the camera.

Go ahead, fuck him, fuck him.

Take it in your ass, there you go.

All you bitches here
will face the same fate.

Given the total impunity

for what's happening in Chechnya,

the same thing started in Ingushetia.

And Dagestan.

Why wouldn't the same happen
in the streets of Moscow ?

Or St. Petersburg.

Voronezh, Vladivostok.

If there's no punishment, if LGBT
people are regarded as subhuman,

if you can do anything to them,

it means that tomorrow,

anyone can find themselves in the shoes
of gay Chechens.

We need to keep this in mind.

I had a terrifying dream.

Kadyrov's people came to kill everyone
who was still left.

We were in a basement somewhere.

We had been brought there by force...

When I was sitting here I was like,
fuck.

I'm going to be all alone
when you're in Moscow.

Damn,
I'm so worried about this court case.

All these anxieties are just piling up.

The meeting is at 6 today.

- Which one ?
- With everybody.

- Yeah ?
- Regarding the press conference.

- Perfect.
- Kalyapin flew in, Kochetkov flew in.

Wonderful.

Be careful there.

MOSCOW

- Is everything ok ?
- Couldn't be better.

Good afternoon, everyone.

The "gay hunt,"
which started this spring,

remains unsolved,
even though there is now a victim,

who has filed a criminal complaint,

and awaits justice.

Today, for the first time,
one of the victims will speak publicly.

Why did Maxim decide to go public ?

Maxim will tell his story himself.
Maxim Lapunov.

Maxim Lapunov, 30

In a word,
they were preparing me to die.

They were beating me with batons.

Every 10 to 15 minutes someone
would storm into the cell

screaming that I was gay and people
like me should be murdered.

But the detained Chechens were beaten
for days on end.

During my time there,
there were 30 people or so.

Many were severely beaten.

Many people
tried to prove they weren't gay.

But all their attempts were useless.
Once they targeted you, you're done.

I still have nightmares
about that time.

Every night,
they brought in

new people to accuse.

Those screams, begging for mercy...

It still haunts me.

I implore the government and the media
to investigate this atrocity.

I am asking for one thing only:

the triumph of justice.

We are all human beings,
we all deserve basic rights.

If we just ignore this,

what will keep it from happening
everywhere ?

No one knows whose son or daughter
will be taken next.

Thank you.

For the first time,

a gay man has spoken openly about
his torture in a secret prison,

and filed a complaint
to the Investigative Committee.

The gay man who claims to have been
tortured in Chechnya gave his name:

Maxim Lapunov.

He's been hiding and changing locations
for six months.

With the help of several NGOs
and the Russian LGBT Network,

Maxim has filed a lawsuit against
the Chechen authorities.

Maxim Lapunov didn't publicly disclose
where in Chechnya he was tortured.

He also withheld the names
of his torturers,

hoping that the authorities,
having all the details,

will start an investigation.

By showing his face, Maxim became
the symbol of the antigay purge,

but also a target
for the Chechen authorities.

Maxim, you're a hero. Respect.

You did great.

We worked all the time, nonstop.

Some activists themselves
became casualties.

Including myself.

I had to leave, too.

All right,
so why are you applying for asylum ?

Because my family faces danger
in Russia.

There is a clear threat
from Chechen strongmen,

that's the highest risk.

And the relatives
of those we evacuated.

These are real threats.

Real dangers coming from their side.

How did your name become familiar
to people in Chechnya ?

One of the girls we helped to flee,

relatives intercepted her

and we thought they would be returning
to Chechnya through Moscow.

And I went to the police in Moscow.

In my statement

I had to give
my information to the police.

An unavoidable error.

Later I heard from the same precinct
in Chechnya

where they detained and tortured gays.

I received a letter from them,
sent to my home address.

Chechnya has its own traditions,
some of which we might not understand.

So, helping a girl to leave

is like taking away their property.

You are dishonoring the family.

So, for them it's a question of honor.

They have to punish me.

Chechnya has its own traditions that we
probably cannot totally understand.

ANYA'S NEW APARTAMENT

I woke up around 11,

I went into her room
around 11:30 or 12,

to ask whether she had a lighter.
And she wasn't there.

She left at night or in the morning.
I don't know, I didn't hear anything.

- Did she leave a note ?
- An audio message came.

Don't text me yourself,
I will text you.

Tell David to not make a fuss about it.

Everything's fine.
I'll get in touch with you later.

I don't blame her. She's been waiting
six months for a visa.

Nobody is taking this seriously.

No way.

Surprise.

I have no words...
no words that are not offensive.

You fucking sneak.

Yesterday I saw some comments online.

The first two or three people
leave their comments,

then everyone attacks.

Guys, that's what we call "trolling."

Some dude left a long comment,

something like, "Dude, you earned
my deep respect for what you did."

And, "Everyone else needs to shut
the fuck up

because it takes guts to do that."

The very fact that you spoke up
deserves respect.

As a mother, I am proud of my son.

I am proud that you stood your ground.

But every day we were afraid that
you would not come back alive.

RUSSIAN MUNICIPAL COURTHOUSE

According to Art. 125 of the Criminal
Code of the Russian Federation,

the motion to start a criminal case
by Maxim Lapunov,

dated March 21, 2018, is denied.

All parties will receive
the written decision in three days.

And now the proceedings are closed.

We have learned the secrets
of the Chechen Republic.

We know... the faces of those to blame
for these troubles.

We know practically...
the whole chain of events.

We know how...
to prove the guilt of these people.

But we don't know how to make

the Investigative Committee
of the Russian Federation...

accept the obvious fact
of these crimes.

But we keep trying.

So what do we do now ?

We've got to take language classes.

My mom and my sister
have been immersed in the language

from the start.

And we are like two idiots
who don't understand shit.

You can speak gibberish.

- Is this all a big joke to you ?
- All this seriousness...

I'm going crazy.

When I am being serious, you go,

"Enough of this depression,
enough of this apathy."

"Seriousness is a drag."

And when I start joking, you go,
"Is this a joke to you ?"

You are whining for days,
"What should we do ?"

And, "I've lost everything."
So what ? Life is shit.

Yes I have, haven't I ?

What have you lost ? You lost
everything, too. You had big plans...

You wanted to start an event planning
company...

Forget about me, what have you lost ?

- Goals in life.
- Set new ones.

And work toward them.

- Are you tired of fighting ?
- Yes, I am tired.

It'll be 11 years this year for us.

And we have a big, bright future.

Sure...

I think he'll be hiding
his entire life.

One way or another.

Of course, at some point in life,
he will end up in a safe country,

some final destination. He'll start
building a new life with his husband.

But in his place I'd be afraid to walk
dark streets my entire life.

Even in my own shoes I'm a bit afraid.
But especially if I were in his shoes.

Let's get married by the sea.

We will buy a house someday.

- Want to live by the sea ?
- Well, there are other seas out there.

I am not saying to get a house
right here.

I mean, by any sea. What do you think ?

It's harder for me now than a year ago,
that's a fact.

I am tired.

It's harder to find money,
harder to get visas.

But we can't just walk away.

This story needs a proper ending.
And that's still very far away.

Anyway, if they don't kill you,
you're a winner.

In the first two years of the purge,

the Russian LGBT Network resettled
151 people abroad.

Canada granted refugee status
to 44 of them

with the help of
Toronto-based Rainbow Railroad.

The Trump administration
has not accepted

any LGBT refugees from Chechnya.

Maxim Lapunov has taken his case

to the European Court of Human Rights
in Strasbourg.

The fates of "Anya" and the pop star
Zelim Bakaev remain unknown.