Seán Crowe (Dublin South West, Sinn Fein)
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91. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if his attention has been drawn to reports of violent state backed attacks on LGBT persons in Chechnya (details supplied); and if he has raised this matter with his Russian counterpart. [3962/19]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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The Government closely follows developments in relation to the treatment of members of the LGBTI community in Russia and, in particular, is well aware of the widespread reports of the persecution of gay men in Chechnya. When the reports came to notice, senior officials of my Department met the Russian Ambassador to convey the grave concerns of the Government, and of the Irish public, at these reports. During the meeting, officials urged the Russian authorities to fully investigate these allegations, to ensure that any such persecution is ended immediately, to provide all affected persons with the assistance they require, and to ensure the safety of activists and journalists investigating the reports of abuse in Chechnya. Ireland continues to raises its concerns over the treatment of the LGBTi+ community in Russia, and especially in Chechnya, through international fora such as the Council of Europe and the OSCE.

In November Ireland, along with 15 other participating States of the OSCE, invoked the Moscow Mechanism to establish a mission of experts to address the concerns surrounding allegations of impunity for reported human rights violations and abuses in Chechnya. The report, published in December, concluded that the evidence confirms the allegations of very serious human rights violations and abuses in the Chechen Republic. The invoking participating States, including Ireland, welcomed the report and its comprehensive list of specific recommendations that could be used by both Russia, including the Chechen Republic, and other participating States moving forward. We further urged Russia to heed the recommendations and work with relevant international institutions – including with the OSCE - to constructively address the issues raised.

Additionally, Ireland regularly makes recommendations on issues related to sexual orientation and gender identity through the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) mechanism of the UN Human Rights Council. In May 2018, as part of the UPR of the Russian Federation, Ireland recommended that Russia adopt comprehensive anti-discrimination legislation on the grounds of sexual orientation, including measures to allow LGBTi+ persons to exercise their rights to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly, without fear of harassment.

The promotion and protection of human rights is a key priority of Ireland’s foreign policy, as outlined in “The Global Island: Ireland’s Foreign Policy for a Changing World.” Ireland is committed to promoting the rights of LGBTI+ individuals, who continue to suffer disproportionate levels of violence and face systematic discrimination in many countries across the world.