January 7 — International Day Against Conversion Therapy
Since 2025, January 7 has been observed as the International Day Against Conversion Therapy. The date was chosen deliberately: on this day in 2022, Canada passed a law banning this practice. The initiative came from two Canadian NGOs — Survivors Connect and The Conversion Therapy Survivor Network.
Unfortunately, very few countries in the world have banned conversion therapy. In Russia, it remains legal to this day.
What is conversion therapy?
Conversion (or reparative) therapy is a pseudoscientific practice aimed at changing a person's sexual orientation or gender identity. Leading medical organizations worldwide recognize it as ineffective and harmful to mental health.
In the North Caucasus, it takes various forms: from pseudo-treatment in closed facilities where LGBTQ+ people are essentially abused, to religious manipulation — rituals known as "exorcism of jinn."
Who is SK SOS?
SK SOS (North Caucasus SOS) is a human rights organization that helps LGBTQ+ people from the North Caucasus who find themselves in danger. The organization documents cases of persecution, provides legal and psychological support, and assists with evacuation and placement in safe locations.
Below are the stories of several SK SOS beneficiaries who have experienced conversion therapy.
Survivors' stories
Closed "rehabilitation" centers
Magomed Askhabov agreed to help a relative transport some belongings to Makhachkala in January 2021. The trip turned out to be a trap: when he arrived in Dagestan and got into his relatives' car, they took him to the "Start" center. There, at his family's request, they attempted to "cure" Magomed of homosexuality.
People at the center were subjected to torture: they were handcuffed and suspended from bars, left without food, and forced to carry heavy loads. For infractions, they were made to copy humiliating texts over and over: "I am an irresponsible weed; if I treat responsibility irresponsibly, I will die like a hunched dog by a piss-stained fence..."
Elina Ukhmanova was forcibly held at the "Alliance Recovery" center in Dagestan, where her parents sent her to be "cured" of bisexuality and atheism. People at the center were subjected to physical violence: they were handcuffed and suspended from railings, left without food. For using profanity, they were forced to do four hundred squats or two hundred push-ups.
Religious "exorcism" practices
Sara Bibulatova had been living in a shelter abroad after escaping her family, but her parents tricked her into returning home. Under the pretense of attending college, she was taken to Dagestan and brought twice a week to the so-called "Islamic Center for Healing from the Evil Eye and Witchcraft," where an imam beat her with a stick, read the Quran, spat in her face, and forced her to inhale unknown herbs.
Alikhan describes his experience: "There are small closed rooms with beds. They ask you to lie down and close your eyes. They read the Quran over you and press hard on your stomach with their fingers. I had to go through this procedure twice a week. And every day I had to pour 'blessed' water over myself... This was supposed to cure me of my orientation, and right after that they wanted to marry me off."
Toma also underwent an exorcism ritual — her parents decided that demons lived inside her. "They brought some imam to our home, an exorcist. At his command, they beat me with a stick while he read the Quran, and if my legs shook from the blows, he said it was the demon trying to escape and they should hit harder... I ran away before all the sessions were finished. Otherwise, I simply wouldn't have survived."
Why it matters to speak about this
Human rights defenders around the world are calling for a complete ban on conversion therapy and for raising awareness about what LGBTQ+ people who have been subjected to this practice go through.
The stories of SK SOS beneficiaries show that behind the words "treatment" and "healing" lie torture, violence, and deep trauma.
Source: materials from the human rights organization SK SOS
Unfortunately, very few countries in the world have banned conversion therapy. In Russia, it remains legal to this day.
What is conversion therapy?
Conversion (or reparative) therapy is a pseudoscientific practice aimed at changing a person's sexual orientation or gender identity. Leading medical organizations worldwide recognize it as ineffective and harmful to mental health.
In the North Caucasus, it takes various forms: from pseudo-treatment in closed facilities where LGBTQ+ people are essentially abused, to religious manipulation — rituals known as "exorcism of jinn."
Who is SK SOS?
SK SOS (North Caucasus SOS) is a human rights organization that helps LGBTQ+ people from the North Caucasus who find themselves in danger. The organization documents cases of persecution, provides legal and psychological support, and assists with evacuation and placement in safe locations.
Below are the stories of several SK SOS beneficiaries who have experienced conversion therapy.
Survivors' stories
Closed "rehabilitation" centers
Magomed Askhabov agreed to help a relative transport some belongings to Makhachkala in January 2021. The trip turned out to be a trap: when he arrived in Dagestan and got into his relatives' car, they took him to the "Start" center. There, at his family's request, they attempted to "cure" Magomed of homosexuality.
People at the center were subjected to torture: they were handcuffed and suspended from bars, left without food, and forced to carry heavy loads. For infractions, they were made to copy humiliating texts over and over: "I am an irresponsible weed; if I treat responsibility irresponsibly, I will die like a hunched dog by a piss-stained fence..."
Elina Ukhmanova was forcibly held at the "Alliance Recovery" center in Dagestan, where her parents sent her to be "cured" of bisexuality and atheism. People at the center were subjected to physical violence: they were handcuffed and suspended from railings, left without food. For using profanity, they were forced to do four hundred squats or two hundred push-ups.
Religious "exorcism" practices
Sara Bibulatova had been living in a shelter abroad after escaping her family, but her parents tricked her into returning home. Under the pretense of attending college, she was taken to Dagestan and brought twice a week to the so-called "Islamic Center for Healing from the Evil Eye and Witchcraft," where an imam beat her with a stick, read the Quran, spat in her face, and forced her to inhale unknown herbs.
Alikhan describes his experience: "There are small closed rooms with beds. They ask you to lie down and close your eyes. They read the Quran over you and press hard on your stomach with their fingers. I had to go through this procedure twice a week. And every day I had to pour 'blessed' water over myself... This was supposed to cure me of my orientation, and right after that they wanted to marry me off."
Toma also underwent an exorcism ritual — her parents decided that demons lived inside her. "They brought some imam to our home, an exorcist. At his command, they beat me with a stick while he read the Quran, and if my legs shook from the blows, he said it was the demon trying to escape and they should hit harder... I ran away before all the sessions were finished. Otherwise, I simply wouldn't have survived."
Why it matters to speak about this
Human rights defenders around the world are calling for a complete ban on conversion therapy and for raising awareness about what LGBTQ+ people who have been subjected to this practice go through.
The stories of SK SOS beneficiaries show that behind the words "treatment" and "healing" lie torture, violence, and deep trauma.
Source: materials from the human rights organization SK SOS