Ruslan Kutaev, a member of the Russian Opposition Platform at PACE, was Suspended from work in this structure after a series of scandalous statements. The main reason for the suspension was his harsh homophobic rhetoric and the de facto justification of extrajudicial killings.
In his recent speeches, in particular on the air with journalist Alexander Plyushchev, Kutaev allowed himself rude statements about queer people. He named representatives of the LGBTQ community "renegades" and "perverts". According to Kutaev, such people should not "put themselves on display" because it offends Chechen society, which he considers conservative.
Kutaev stressed that as a representative of the "conservative part of Chechen society" he does not intend to deal with the problems of LGBTQ people. Later, in a second broadcast, he tried to soften his words, saying that he "did not call" them perverts on his own behalf, but confirmed his commitment to conservative views.
In addition to attacking LGBTQ people, the politician said that "honor killings" in Chechnya are exclusively a "family affair". When asked whether a family has the right to kill a relative for "shame," Kutaev replied with a question: "Why does a member of this family have the right to disgrace this family?" In his opinion, neither politicians nor human rights activists should interfere in the decisions that the family makes regarding its members.
Human Rights Group SC SOS, which helps LGBTQ people and women in the North Caucasus, demanded the immediate expulsion of Kutaev from the platform. Human rights activists noted that his words actually legitimize violence and impunity, which is incompatible with the basic democratic principles of PACE.
Journalists and colleagues on the platform also expressed outrage. Renat Davletgildeev called Kutaev's interview "A parade of naked homophobia" And he wondered whether a person with such views could represent the democratic agenda.
PACE President Petra Bayr announced immediate provisional suspension Kutaev. The final decision on his status in the platform, which he was part of under the quota of representatives of the indigenous peoples of Russia, will be made by the PACE Bureau.
Reference: Ruslan Kutaev is the president of the Assembly of the Peoples of the Caucasus and former Deputy Prime Minister of Ichkeria. In Russia, he is recognized as a "foreign agent", and was previously prosecuted by the Chechen authorities in a fabricated case, which is why he was recognized as a political prisoner.
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