Crime

Radio Free Europe reports: Russian President Vladimir Putin’s spokesman sought to downplay evidence of a campaign of abuse targeting gay men in Chechnya, saying the Kremlin has “heard no confirmation” of reports that have prompted outrage in the West. Speaking to journalists on April 20, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Putin has no reason to doubt regional leader Ramzan Kadyrov’s …

GoErie.com reports: Erie police have confirmed the suicide in Erie on Tuesday of Steve Stephens, the Cleveland resident suspected of fatally shooting a Cleveland man on Sunday and posting video of the slaying on Facebook. Stephens died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound while driving a white Ford Fusion near Buffalo Road and Downing Avenue around 11:10 a.m., police said. State …

Via press release: We continue to be disturbed by reports of kidnapping, torture, and murder of people in Chechnya based on their sexual orientation and those persecuted by association. If true, this violation of human rights cannot be ignored – Chechen authorities must immediately investigate these allegations, hold anyone involved accountable, and take steps to prevent future abuses. We are …

The New York Daily News reports: Pandemonium erupted at Penn Station Friday after Amtrak police used a stun gun on an unruly man — sending scared riders scrambling for safety. The transit hub was unusually crowded at rush hour thanks to an NJ Transit train that stalled in a tunnel earlier, causing massive delays to kick off the holiday weekend. …

PAGING NIKKI HALEY. PAGING REX TILLERSON. The Associated Press reports: In the face of growing international concern about reported detentions and killings of homosexuals in Chechnya, Russian President Vladimir Putin’s spokesman says the Kremlin does not have confirmed information about the matter. The respected Russian newspaper Novaya Gazeta reported this month that police in the predominantly Muslim republic rounded up …

The New York Times reports: United Nations experts demanded on Thursday that Chechnya halt the abduction, detention, beating and killing of gay and bisexual men, after weeks of reports about violent repression there. “These are acts of persecution and violence on an unprecedented scale in the region and constitute serious violations of the obligations of the Russian Federation under international …

Toronto City News reports: “God says it best. Homosexuality is a sin.” Those are the first few lines of a homophobic letter sent to Toronto City Councillor Kristyn Wong-Tam’s office on Wednesday morning. The letter is riddled with derogatory language describing gay people, with one line reading, “Now with the police not at your f*g parade, it makes it easy …

Via press release: The Congressional LGBT Equality Caucus denounced reports of hundreds gay men being arrested, detained, and tortured in Chechnya, an autonomous, predominantly Muslim subject of Russia. Additional reports indicate that several of the detained individuals have been murdered in custody. On April 10th 2017, Representatives Cicilline and Lowenthal led a bipartisan letter of 50 Members of Congress urging …

BOOM. The Florida Times-Union reports: In a matter of an hour, a jury of three men and nine women found Kenneth Adkins guilty Monday of eight child molestation-related charges stemming from his sexual relationship with a teenage girl and boy at his church seven years ago. The controversial, anti-gay pastor showed no emotion as the verdict was read. He will …

Via press release: Today, GLAAD – the world’s LGBTQ media advocacy organization, called on Nikki Haley, United States Ambassador to the United Nations, to condemn the attacks on LGBTQ men by the Chechen government and investigate reports of possible imprisonment of LGBTQ people in concentration camps because of their perceived sexual orientation. GLAAD’s call to action follows reports which surfaced …

Crime Russia reports: The LGBT people who fled from repressions in Chechnya said there are two secret prisons for illegal detentions of offenders, as well as drug addicts and LGBT people who the Chechen government see as an issue, according to the Svoboda ratio station. The raid began in December of 2016, not February of 2017 as earlier reported, according …

Yesterday the State Department called on Russia to investigate reports that Chechen police are rounding up and murdering gay men. Tonight the State Department has issued a second statement: We are increasingly concerned about the situation in the Republic of Chechnya, where there have been numerous credible reports indicating the detention of at least 100 men on the basis of …

J. Lester Feder reports at Buzzfeed: The US State Department has called on Russia to investigate reports that more than 100 LGBT people have recently been detained, tortured, or murdered in the region of Chechnya. “We urge the Russian government to conduct an independent and credible investigation into the alleged killings and mass arrests, and hold the perpetrators responsible,” a …

The Palm Beach Post reports: A man was robbed and kidnapped Saturday after he visited the Boynton Beach residence of another man he met on a social networking site, according to an arrest report. The victim, who is not being identified by Boynton Beach police, was taken at knife point back to his home, which was then ransacked by three …

Posted this morning by Human Rights Watch: The information published by Novaya Gazeta is consistent with the reports Human Rights Watch recently received from numerous trusted sources, including sources on the ground. The number of sources and the consistency of the stories leaves us with no doubt that these devastating developments have indeed occurred. LGBT Network in Russia opened a …

Newsweek reports: Russian authorities have pledged to investigate reported mass disappearances and deaths of gay locals in the region of Chechnya, after the regional government dismissed allegations made in Novaya Gazeta on Saturday, saying “you cannot detain… what simply does not exist.” According to the Russian investigative newspaper, authorities in the conservative and predominantly Muslim Chechen Republic have detained over …

The New York Times reports: First, two television reporters vanished. Then a waiter went missing. Over the past week, men ranging in age from 16 to 50 have disappeared from the streets of Chechnya. On Saturday, a leading Russian opposition newspaper confirmed a story already circulating among human rights activists: The Chechen authorities were arresting and killing gay men. While …

The New York Times reports: Bridget Anne Kelly, a former top aide to Gov. Chris Christie, was sentenced to 18 months in prison on Wednesday for her role in closing access lanes to the George Washington Bridge as a form of political retribution against a mayor who refused to endorse Mr. Christie for re-election in 2013. Earlier on Wednesday, Bill …

CBS News reports: Bill Baroni, an ex-aide to New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, has been sentenced to two years in prison over 2013 George Washington Bridge lane-closing scandal. Baroni and Bridget Kelly were convicted last November on counts including wire fraud, conspiracy and misusing the bridge for improper purposes. Baroni is being sentenced first Wednesday followed by Kelly in the …

The Associated Press reports: An Indiana man who told police he was headed to a gay pride event in California and was found with a loaded assault rifle and chemicals mixed and ready to explode in his car has pleaded not guilty to weapons charges. James Wesley Howell, of Charlestown, Indiana, was also charged Tuesday with possessing a destructive device. …