Dear friends,
Zelim Bakaev is missing. The 26-year-old was last seen in August after traveling to Chechnya, where he was dragged into a car and driven away.
It's believed that Zelim is a victim of Chechnya's "anti-gay purge," in which over 100 men have been captured, tortured, and even murdered.
Zelim has been missing for five months. Five months in the hands of one of the world's most violently homophobic regimes, while the world sits idly by.
That's why All Out is fighting back louder than ever. Together with our partners on the ground in Russia, we're launching a worldwide campaign to find Zelim and bring him back to safety. Because if we don't speak out, who will?
But we need your help, Luc. Working on cases like Zelim's requires long-term and ongoing commitment. We work on a shoestring budget, so we can provide our partners on the ground with all the support we can afford.
We're determined to find Zelim, however long it takes. Will you join with thousands of others by making an ongoing commitment to justice and equality?
Early last year, All Out was one of the first groups to jump into action to support the local LGBT movement in Russia. Thousands of All Out members helped fund our partner group's evacuation of 79 people from Chechnya – both torture survivors and those whose lives were still in danger.
The only reason we could mobilise so quickly was because of the steadfast support of our Equality Champions. It's only because of them that the long and difficult work in Chechnya is going to be possible.
Our partners tell us that the abductions, abuse, and torture are continuing. Zelim is not the only person still missing.
So why has the world stopped paying attention to what is happening in Chechnya?
With ongoing support from Equality Champions, we'll bring these atrocities back into international headlines and pressure our world leaders to put an end to Chechnya's "anti-gay purge," once and for all.
Thanks for going All Out,
Matt Beard
Executive Director
