as torture and at least one murder then a man identified for his safety by abc news under the pseudonym dmitry claimed he was held for several days with others in cells deprived of food and water beaten and hooked up to a battery a russian man maxim lapunov who publicly described being tortured in october 2017 also filed a criminal complaint to the investigative committee as in 2017 chechen authorities denied the reports largely by asserting that homosexuality does not exist in chechnya moscow lgbt activists say they filed a complaint demanding russian authorities open a criminal investigation into the alleged detention and torture of people as part of a suspected antigay campaign by security forces in the russian republic of chechnya activists demanding an investigation were arrested in 2017 more for many gay men in conservative chechnya living in fear for their lives is commonplace a report in december by the organisation for security and cooperation criticized russia over its response saying it failed to live up to its responsibilities unlike in 2017 police are also arresting women kochetkov said kochetkov said those allegedly detained this time described being raped with electroshockers and that men were shaved and forced to dress in womens clothes more activists say dozens arrested in new gay purge in chechnya earlier this month the lgbt network claimed at least 40 people were detained and two killed in what they fear is a renewal of a campaign of persecution in chechnya that in 2017 saw dozens of gay men rounded up and brutally tortured