MTV Amplifies Artists and Young People as They Keep #EyesOnChechnya

By Charlotte Parker Gliserman

Yesterday, MTV released an advocacy video on the crisis in Chechnya, where the government is persecuting gay and bisexual men. The video features celebrities, including Jussie Smollett and Carson Kressley, speaking out against these atrocities and encouraging all of us to have our #EyesOnChechnya. Human Rights First is supporting this important project, providing resources and promotion on social media to help maximize awareness.

While world leaders like German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau have condemned Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov, President Trump has remained silent. When Representative David Cicilline questioned Secretary of State Rex Tillerson on the issue in mid-June, Tillerson stated that the crisis in Chechnya was on the Trump Administration’s “pending list.”

When we see unspeakable acts of cruelty, like those perpetrated by Kadyrov and other Chechen authorities, inaction is unacceptable. Speak out against anti-LGBT violence in Chechnya with Human Rights First’s #EyesOnChechnya on Twitter and Facebook and encourage the Trump Administration to end its negligence on the issue. Read more about what you can do to help here.