Inspite of repeated denials by authorities it seems increasingly clear from evidence emerging from the region that there is. Men are being rounded up, at least 100 suggested by Russian newspaper Novaya Gazeta, and at least three men are said to have been killed.

One survivor who escaped the camp, in which he was kept subsequent to his arrest, has said that gay men are having their families brought to the camp and given instructions to kill their relative to wash clean their family honour.

The leader in Chechnya, Ramzan Kadyrov, has insisted that no purge is taking place but he has also insisted that there are no gay people in Chehnya. However, as of the 5th May 2017, President Vladimir Putin has agreed to set up an investigation into the alleged purge, after coming under pressure from several world leaders, including Angela Merkel, so hopefully the truth will be known soon.

Yes. Many reports are coming from the men who have been detained testifying to this. They are understandably anonymous. They detail the torture, beatings and murder that occur in locations that they gay men have been taken to. The reports say that government agents also threaten the gay men's families and try to get them to give them up or entrap them. In Chechnya the entire family can be shamed for having a gay family member, making it hard for siblings to marry. Some gay men have reported how they ran away from the family home after being warned of danger, and how cousins have tried to persuade them to return. They also detail how once taken to the camp, they were tortured to give up the names of other gay men. Angela Merkel has recently mentioned this to President Putin, pleading that this not continue.