Chechnyan leader Ramzan Kadyrov is lashing out at allegations the region is conducting a murderous purge of homosexuals.

On social media, Kadyrov insisted human rights have undergone a "grandiose" improvement since he came to power. He added that international organizations decrying the detention and murder of gay men is a "massive information attack."

"Using the most unworthy methods, reality is distorted," he complained. "Attempts are being made to blacken our society, lifestyle, traditions and customs.”

Kadyrov had previously insisted no such purge was taking place because there were no gay people in Chechnya. "You cannot arrest or repress people who just don’t exist in the republic."

Since Novaya Gazeta first reported on the attacks, the paper's reporters have faced repeated threats. Journalist Elena Milashina, who broke the story, has had to flee Russia altogether for her safety.

"The reaction was very panicked and hysterical, but at the same time very threatening,” Milashina told The Washington Post. “We’ve covered Chechnya for many years... Many years, decades. This was the first time in our history, however, that they used religion. 15,000 people got together in the main mosque of Chechnya and announced a jihad against the staff of Novaya Gazeta.”

“I will just live for a while in another country,” she added, “still working on Chechnya.”

Comparing the situation to that of Nazi Germany, Milashina said “people are scared of the information. They can’t believe it... But it’s clearly real, and I think that’s why people are raising their voices now."

A spokesperson for Vladimir Putin insisted, "We do not have any reliable information about any problems in this area."