On March 15, the Russian LGBT Network received unconfirmed evidences suggesting a massive campaign against the LGBT community in Chechnya. On March 29, we opened the hotline kavkaz@lgbtnet.org, which operates around the clock.
On April 1, due to the first publication of "Novaya Gazeta", the entire world learned about an unprecedented wave of the illegal detentions, tortures and murders based on hatred towards homosexual people. On April 2, we have received the first request for help at kavkaz@lgbtnet.org hotline, and on April 7, the first person was evacuated from Chechnya. On May 26, the first evacuated man left Russia.
During 2017, over 170 people contacted us at kavkaz@lgbt.org. Many of them needed urgent evacuation, and some of them already left the region and wanted to share their stories. Due to the enormous support of the organizations and individuals all around the world, we were able to save 106 people from Chechnya and to help 88 of them to leave the country.
In 2017, the Russian LGBT Network fundraised 479,064 euros (including the private donations and money sent by our partners) for saving Chechen people. Out of that, 57 350 were donated through our website by people all around the world. 4,500 euros is an average amount spent per person (during the entire period).
All the evacuated people received all necessary support, including medical and psychological assistance, accommodation and food, basic necessities and much more. The average period of support for one person is three and a half months (the minimum time is one and a half months, the maximum is 8 months).
What was the funds spent on?
- 18.5% - social workers
- 14.5% - travel expenses within Russia
- 13.2% - visas and departure from Russia
- 10.8% - housing
- 10.8% - food
- 9.2% - medical assistance
- 6.5% - advocacy
- 5% - salaries for people working around the clock to help the victims
- 4% - documents replacement
- 2.9% - necessities (warm clothing, dishes, hygiene products, and much more)
- 2% - psychological help
- 2% - psychological and medical assistance to people involved in the evacuation process
- 0.6% - means of communication
In 2018, detentions and torture of homosexual people in Chechnya continue. People in trouble still contacting us, and we are doing our best to help them. Now, we ran out of the funds needed to keep on evacuating. Absolutely. Before the New Year, we raised some money to make the small gifts to our wards but were forced to spend this money on the most basic things - housing and food.
Today we need it like never before. Help us to support people who have nowhere else to turn.