07/08/2024
Dance music radio station Select UK reports that the fanatical Chechnyan authorities, who have murdered and interred many LGBTQIA+ people, have now banned any musical forms that are from Western, liberal and democratic countries. Select correspondents say "Chechnya has instituted a sweeping directive, purportedly outlawing any musical compositions falling outside the narrow tempo spectrum of 80 to 116 beats per minute (BPM), thereby effectively proscribing a multitude of genres, notably including techno and various dance music genres, within the confines of the Russian republic. According to a report aired by Sky News, the Ministry of Culture in the region disseminated a formal statement last week, articulating an unequivocal mandate stipulating that “all manifestations of musical, vocal, and choreographic artistry must meticulously adhere to a tempo continuum ranging exclusively between 80 to 116 BPM.” This development warrants attention against the backdrop of Chechnya’s recurrent engagement with human rights issues. Notably, the region garnered international scrutiny in 2017 and 2019 amidst documented instances of what Human Rights Watch has described as “anti-gay purges,” characterized by severe human rights violations, including fatalities, physical assaults, and alleged acts of torture targeting individuals perceived to identify as LGBTQ+.
