Human rights organizations, including the Toronto-based Rainbow Railroad, had raised the alarm that young gay men were being kidnapped, beaten and even killed under a program sponsored by the Chechen government. The Canadian government got involved and over the past few months has offered asylum to 31 young men. The goal, he says, was information — for them to give up the names of other gay men. Executive director Kimahli Powell says helping grant asylum to gay men was a big undertaking for his small organization, founded in 2006. Kimahli Powell, Rainbow Railroad executive director, says his organization secretly worked with Canadian government officials for months, ensuring asylum for gay Chechen men.

Source: CBC News September 04, 2017 19:18 UTC