Authorities in the Chechen Republic have detained over 100 suspected gay men in the past week. The Russian newspaper Novaya Gazeta confirmed that over 100 men have been reported missing and three have been killed over suspicions of homosexuality. The paper reported that Chechnya officials gave orders to persecute those who were suspicious of being gay. A spokesman for Chechnya's President Ramzan Kadyrov denied the claims, stating that “such people” do not exist in their region. Russian police vowed to investigate the disappearances after the reports were released.