They Must Be Bad Hombres

The United States has declined visas to gay Chechens fleeing a wave of kidnappings, torture, and disappearances in the semi-autonomous Russian region, according to the organization Russia LGBT Network.

A group of around 40 Chechens are now in hiding in other parts of Russia, a Russia LGBT Network spokesperson told BuzzFeed News, and are having difficulty securing visas that would allow them to flee the country.

[...]

[The strongman who rules Chechnya with near impunity, Ramzan] Kadyrov has responded to the Novaya Gazeta reports — which have since been confirmed by human rights organizations and international news outlets — by denying such a crackdown could have taken place because Chechnya "does not have this phenomenon called non-traditional sexual orientation." Several of the reporters involved in breaking the story left Russia in fear for their safety after a Kadyrov adviser called them "enemies of our faith and of our country" in a televised rally in April.

  Buzzfeed

Lithuanian Foreign Minister Linas Linkevicius told Baltic News Service Wednesday that Lithuania granted visas to “two natives of Chechnya who suffered persecution because of their sexual orientation.” He called on other European Union countries to follow suit.

[...]

While Lithuania opened itself to those fleeing persecution, the United States slammed its own door shut. On Wednesday, Buzzfeed News reported the State Department denied visas to gay Chechens fleeing persecution, even while LGBTI groups in Russia frantically search for ways to get them out of the country.

The Russia LGBT Network said there are still about 40 survivors of Chechen prison camps currently in hiding and trying to flee the country.

[...]

The White House gave no indication the issue came up during President Donald Trump’s now infamous meeting with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on May 10, and said it was “not aware” if Trump was even briefed on the issue.

  Foreign Policy

Ha

For the Love of Pete

A female CBS reporter this morning just said that "a lot of us would like to see" the second Boston bomber end up like the first (shot and killed by police), because we can find out what they were up to "dead or alive."

These guys, Tamerlan and Dzhokhar Tsarnaev,  are Chechens - a region where Russia has been battling terrorists for many, many years as Chechens continue to fight for independence, although these two brothers seem to have an unlikely sports background (Tamerlan a boxer), and their motive may not have had anything to do with religion - or it may (but that won't matter now).

I suppose we could just kill all foreigners and refuse any travel visas.

...but hey, do what you want...you will anyway.

PS
Boston.com (where I'm watching live video feed from CBS surrounding a house in Watertown) showed some CBS video that someone in Watertown took in the night during the shoot-out.  (Why she was filming instead of taking cover, I couldn't tell you - maybe she had full body armor on.) It sounded like the end of a large fireworks display.  I'd say it's possible the dead and wounded officers were hit by friendly fire.  There's a picture purportedly of a house in Watertown where a bullet went through the wall. 

The boys' uncle was on a phone interview with the same CBS station.  He says he hasn't talked to them since 2009, and he is shocked (but he's calling them "pricks" and "losers").  They informed him that Tamerlan had been killed, which he didn't know, and he said "he absolutely deserved" it.  He says if people want to curse him, he is ready to accept it, because he is related to "these bastards."  Poor guy.  He should probably expect more than curses.

I suppose the interview - or parts of it - will be widely published.

PPS
The same bloodthirsty CBS reporter says that it's un.be.LIEV.able that the younger brother (Dzhokhar) got a high school scholarship that was PAID FOR BY THE CITIZENS OF CAMBRIDGE!

And, Holy Crap!  another CBS reporter interviewing another uncle just let him give them the address of the first uncle on air.