Power the underground rescue networks!

BREAKING: Chechnya's President just said he would wipe out the area's gay population in the next six weeks!! Dear friends, Adam* was electrocuted, beaten, and tortured everyday until he escaped the secret detention centre and fled the country. Now activists on the ground need our help saving the rest of Chechnya's gay community, fast. They've built an underground rescue network, but they're fighting a losing battle against roving government thugs hell-bent on killing and abducting "suspected homosexuals", and it's getting worse. We can save lives now by funding safe houses, transport, and lawyers, plus investigators to bring out stories in the media and campaigning against horrific laws. Every day, more people are being dragged away -- [YES, I'LL DONATE $2]( [YES, I'LL DONATE $4]( [YES, I'LL DONATE $8]( [YES, I'LL DONATE $16]( [YES, I'LL DONATE $32]( [YES, I'LL DONATE ANOTHER AMOUNT]( Hundreds of men have been hunted down and detained in secret and illegal prisons, forced to reveal the names of friends and lovers who then suffer the same fate. And the risk extends to their families, who feel pressure from their deeply homophobic communities to kill their gay family members in the name of "family honour". But our actions right now can change this reality before more suffer this brutal fate. Together we can: - fund secret apartments and houses where gay people can hide from authorities safely - provide secure transport out of Chechnya for those who have to leave to survive - fund local activists so they can fight for the basic right to love safely and sustainably - send investigative journalists into places where gay people are attacked to expose the abuse - campaign for international sanctions and pressure to repeal anti-gay laws and practices If we raise enough, we can take this plan global, to many of the other 73 countries where gay people are hunted and attacked.  Over 1 million of us have called on Russia's government to intervene and close the gay torture centres in Chechnya, and the immense global media pressure that helped generate is working. But the world is moving too slowly, Chechnya is speeding up the attack and people are dying right now. These men need help, today -- [YES, I'LL DONATE $2]( [YES, I'LL DONATE $4]( [YES, I'LL DONATE $8]( [YES, I'LL DONATE $16]( [YES, I'LL DONATE $32]( [YES, I'LL DONATE ANOTHER AMOUNT]( Avaaz worked with activists on the ground in Uganda to secure their houses, provide security training, advocacy, campaigning and more -- and it worked! A gay death penalty bill was watered down, saving countless lives. Our amazing combination of massive public campaigning and funding can, again, change the future for a whole community simply searching for the right to love freely and openly. With hope, Emma, Danny, Sarah, Spyro, Risalat and the whole Avaaz team More information: Gay Men Are Being Rounded Up And Killed In Chechnya: Report (Huffington Post) Gay men in Chechnya are being tortured and killed. More will suffer if we don’t act (The Guardian) The international community must respond to attacks on gay men in Chechnya (The Globe and Mail) Chechens tell of prison beatings and electric shocks in anti-gay purge: ‘They called us animals’ (The Guardian) *This victim’s name has been changed for their personal safety Avaaz is a 44-million-person global campaign network that works to ensure that the views and values of the world's people shape global decision-making. ("Avaaz" means "voice" or "song" in many languages.) Avaaz members live in every nation of the world; our team is spread across 18 countries on 6 continents and operates in 17 languages. Learn about some of Avaaz's biggest campaigns [here]( or follow us on [Facebook]( or [Twitter](. You became a member of the Avaaz movement and started receiving these emails when you signed "Join Avaaz!" on 2016-03-01 using the email address {EMAIL}. To ensure that Avaaz messages reach your inbox, please add avaaz@avaaz.org to your address book. To change your email address, language settings, or other personal information, [contact us]( or simply [go here to unsubscribe](. To contact Avaaz, please do not reply to this email. Instead, write to us at [www.avaaz.org/en/contact]( or call us at +1-888-922-8229 (US).