propaganda laws. but there's now shocking allegations of much worse. hundreds of gay men in chechnya and southern russia being round up and brutally tortured by the local authorities. people like ahmed. he spoke to cnn on the promise we hide his identity. >> translator: my car got stopped at a chechen police checkpoint, and they asked me for my documents. they looked at them and said we are taking you. >> reporter: for years activists say sexual minorities have been targeted in conservative mainly muslim chechnya. one recent victim shared this cell phone video with cnn. he recorded it as his friend was abducted and beaten just over a year ago, he told us. but now activists say the problem is much worse, with hundreds of gay men being detained in special camps, some like this chechen man subjected