I was detained in Moscow

Dear friends, Last Thursday, I was detained by police in Moscow, along with four other activists. We were trying to deliver over 2 million signatures demanding justice for the kidnapping and torture of gay men in Chechnya. Thankfully, I was released later that day and am safely back at home. Our trial is set for May 29. Immediately after news of our detainment hit international headlines, Russian authorities released the results of an "investigation" into Chechnya, stating, "there are no victims of persecution, threats or violence." This is outrageous. And we're more determined than ever to continue fighting the systematic erasure of LGBT lives in Russia. But we need your help to power this fight. I'm so grateful for the 1,598 All Out members who already chipped in to help pay for our fines, legal fees, and other costs needed to keep on fighting. Can you chip in, too? In solidarity, Yuri Guaiana SOURCE: ●︎ A Russian embassy said the investigation into Chechnya's gay kidnappings is already done – BuzzFeedNews, 11 May 2017 Previous email: -------------------

Dear friends, My colleague Yuri, a campaigner for All Out, was just detained by police in Moscow this morning, along with four other fellow activists. They were on their way to deliver over 2 million signatures to Russian authorities, demanding justice for the kidnapping and torture of gay men in Chechnya. Hordes of police were waiting. They were taken away immediately. A trial is set for May 29 and we want to be ready. Can you chip in today to help pay for the activists' fines and other emergency costs? Your donation today will also allow us to continue to campaign fearlessly with our partners on the ground, until there is justice for the gay men persecuted in Chechnya. We'll continue to work with the Russian LGBT Network – the group leading the evacuation of men at risk in Chechnya, which All Out members helped fund. We're determined to get the millions of signatures demanding justice for the Chechen victims into the hands of Russian authorities. We'll also keep working with groups like Avaaz and Change.org to unite even more global voices. Your support is already working – together we pressured German Chancellor Angela Merkel to publicly urge President Vladimir Putin to stop the violent crimes against gay men in Chechnya. But there's a lot more work to do. Today's events show that we've gotten the attention of Russian authorities. With your help, we can recover stronger than ever and keep up the drumbeat demanding justice for the Chechen 100. Friends – chip in today so we can continue to fight for justice for the Chechen 100. In solidarity, Matt Beard SOURCE: ●︎ These activists were detained for wanting Russia to investigate kidnappings of gay men – BuzzFeedNews, 11 May 2017 Want to support All Out's ongoing work? Our tiny team stretches every dollar to make it count. DONATE TODAY

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