Maksim was the first to publicly expose the persecution of LGBTQ+ people in Chechnya, bringing global attention to the dire situation regarding queer rights in the North Caucasus.

Born in Omsk, Russia, Maksim moved to Chechnya in 2015 to work as an event host. In the spring of 2017, he was abducted in central Grozny by individuals in civilian clothing and detained in an unofficial prison for gay people. During his detention, security forces brutally beat him in an attempt to extract information about other gay men in Chechnya and forced him to leave fingerprints on weapons as leverage.

After 12 days, Maksim was released, but only after being coerced into recording a video confessing to his homosexuality. He was threatened with death if he revealed what had happened. Maksim sought help from human rights defenders and filed a police report.

Despite his efforts, the request to open a criminal case against those responsible was denied, and the investigation was never conducted properly. Maksim eventually left Russia and, in November 2019, lodged a complaint with the European Court of Human Rights.

In September 2023, the ECHR ruled that Maksim Lapunov had been subjected to illegal detention and torture due to his sexual orientation in 2017 and that Russia had failed to conduct a thorough investigation. Maksim was awarded €52,000 in compensation for moral damages. He is now safe.

We were involved in Maksim’s evacuation and ensuring his safety, and we continue to provide him with legal support.