The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) has decided to keep Ruslan Kutaev, a Chechen dissident, on its advisory panel despite his controversial statements regarding LGBTQ+ individuals and so-called "honor killings." Kutaev, who represents indigenous peoples from Russia, faced significant criticism following remarks made in an interview with exiled Russian journalist Alexander Plyushchev in late April.

In the interview, Kutaev identified as a conservative and expressed a lack of engagement with issues related to women and LGBTQ+ people fleeing violence in Chechnya, stating, "I have no desire to look into such cases." He characterized these subjects as sensitive within Chechen society, which he argued should not have its rights subordinated to minority rights.

Particularly inflammatory were Kutaev's allusions to "honor killings," where he indicated that decisions regarding an individual's fate in such harm should be left to families and criticized external condemnation of these actions. His remarks were viewed by many human rights advocates as legitimizing violence and impunity, which has historically been pervasive in Chechnya against LGBTQ+ individuals.

The NC SOS Crisis Group, an organization focused on aiding victims from the North Caucasus, has voiced strong objection to Kutaev's comments, planning to formally request his removal from the advisory platform. They emphasized that any representation of democratic values must renounce justifications for violence under cultural or familial traditions.

Despite facing backlash, Kutaev has not yet issued a public response to the growing calls for his exit from PACE. The assembly has not disclosed any plans for further disciplinary action against him, leading to concerns about the assembly's stance on human rights representation and its implications for marginalized communities in the region.

Caught at the intersection of cultural conservatism and emerging global human rights standards, Kutaev's position continues to ignite fierce debate within European political discourse regarding representation and accountability for human rights violations linked to traditional practices.