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50 Members Of Congress Sign Letter Condemning Anti-LGBT Purge In Chechnya

The letter was spearheaded by LGBT Equality Caucus Co-Chair Rep. David Cicilline.

50 members of the United States Congress have signed a letter calling for an investigation into the detainment and murder of LGBT people in Chechnya.

Reports continue to come out of Chechnya about gay men being detained and killed, with allegations of a concentration camp for homosexuals in a former army base. The goal, writes Novaya Gazeta, "is the complete cleansing of Chechnya from men of non-traditional sexual orientation."

In response to the crisis, 50 members of Congress this week signed a letter urging Secretary of State Rex Tillerson to speak out publicly against the monstrous act and to pressure the Russian government to investigate and intervene.

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WASHINGTON, DC - JANUARY 11: Former ExxonMobil CEO Rex Tillerson, U.S. President-elect Donald Trump's nominee for Secretary of State, testifies during his confirmation hearing before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee January 11, 2017 on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC. Tillerson is expected to face tough questions regarding his ties with Russian President Vladimir Putin. (Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images)

Secretary Tillerson is currently on a trip to Russia. As he traveled to the Kremlin without any press, it's unclear whether or not he raised the issue.

“The situation in Chechnya is horrific,” said LGBT Equality Caucus Co-Chair Rep. David Cicilline (D-RI). “Chechen authorities are acting in clear violation of international law. Secretary Tillerson needs to clearly condemn these actions during his visit to Moscow. These abuses cannot be tolerated.”

“These reports coming out of Chechnya regarding the targeted arrests and murders of gay men are appalling,” added LGBT Equality Caucus Vice-Chair Rep. Alan Lowenthal (D-CA).

“The most fundamental internationally-accepted human rights are the right to life, liberty, and security of person. I stand with the LGBT community in the Chechen Republic, and I call on Secretary Tillerson to denounce these atrocities and I call on the Russian and Chechen authorities to immediately halt these arrests and prosecute those who have tortured and murdered innocent people."

The letter was signed by 47 Democrats. The only Republicans to sign were Representatives Carlos Curbelo, Ileana Ros-Lehtinen and Charles Dent.

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Gay rights activists march in Russia's second city of St. Petersburg May 1, 2013, during their rally against a controversial law in the city that activists see as violating the rights of gays. AFP PHOTO / OLGA MALTSEVA (Photo credit should read OLGA MALTSEVA/AFP/Getty Images)

This week, a number of the UN's most senior experts on human rights also called for action against the horrific crimes.

“We urge the authorities to put an end to the persecution of people perceived to be gay or bisexual in the Chechen Republic who are living in a climate of fear fueled by homophobic speeches by local authorities,” the experts stated.

“It is crucial that reports of abductions, unlawful detentions, torture, beatings and killings of men perceived to be gay or bisexual are investigated thoroughly."

“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 human rights law,” the experts concluded.

A number of LGBT celebrities have also called on fans to take notice of the situation in Chechnya, with TV host Ellen DeGeneres writing, "Things happen these days and it's hard to believe they're real. And yet they are. If this is happening in Chechnya, the world needs to rise up."

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