Five people were detained in Moscow Thursday as they tried to deliver a petition with 2 million signatures calling on the Russian authorities to investigate the alleged torture and detention of gay people in the Russian region of Chechnya.Reports of a campaign against gay men by Chechen security forces were first flagged by the Russian newspaper Novaya Gazeta last month and later corroborated by Human Rights Watch. The story has since drawn international attention and outrage, with major world leaders strongly condemning the practice.
Last week Russian President Vladimir Putin backed an inquiry into the claims, with Chechnya's strongman leader Ramzan Kadyrov saying he would cooperate—while at the same time maintaining his stance that there are no "people of nontraditional orientation" in the Muslim republic.Continue reading on VICE News.