To think that sometimes, no, actually, it's not a case of 'their country, their rules'?

[MissionItsPossible]

I'm not sure about posting full articles here so will just post the part that the thread is mostly about. (I've tried to bold this and it's not happening for some reason. Oh and it's about the current situation in Chechnya):

Former detainees gave harrowing accounts of their treatment.
‘It was like a chain. They get one person, go through his phone, torture him, make him name some others, get those others, and so it goes… In the place where I was held, we were four [gay men] at first, but several days later we were already 20.
‘At night, when we were left alone, I tried to convince the new arrivals to buck up, deny everything, not name anyone.
‘I kept telling them that the more people we name, the more information we give, the longer we’ll spend in this hell hole, the longer we’ll be tortured… I was telling them, can’t you see, those who talk are tortured even harder…
‘But the torture was bad–the beatings, and the electric shocks especially–very few could bear it without breaking.'
On the subject of electrocutions, a detainee said: ‘They turn the knob, electric current hits you, and you start shaking. And they keep turning the hellish machine, and the pain is just insane, you scream, and scream, and you no longer know who you are…
‘Finally, you faint, it all goes dark, but when you come to your senses, they start all over again. And once they’re done with you and you get your bearings, you hear other inmates screaming, and the sounds of torture are just there all day, and at some point, you start losing your mind.’
They [officials] took us [the interviewee along with other inmates presumed to be gay] to this place and our male family members were there, fathers, brothers, uncles…
‘So, they are there looking at you and they [officials] shout abuse at you, call you names, the most offensive names, and they order you to step forward, admit it to your relatives, admit that you’re gay. And you know they’re likely to kill you if you don’t or they’ll just keep torturing you…
‘Then, they chastise your family members, tell them they brought shame on the family by rearing a pervert, that it’s a huge stain on family honor, a stain that needs to be cleansed… They wouldn’t say it directly but we all knew what it meant.’

So I was at work today and read the article above and gave some people sitting near me an outline of it and commented that it was disgusting and more needs to be done about it and someone said "Well it's their country so it's their rules. Would you dictate what other people can wear in other countries or what religion they could practice?" and a couple of other people agreed (with him). I replied by saying "There's a bit of a leap between clothing and religion against torturing someone by electrocuting them to death" (doesn't mention it in the excerpt but 3 people have reportedly been killed). He said "They know the risk of living in that country and if they choose to take it then it's on their own heads". He then said (And this is the part which is really asking AIBU): "It's people thinking like you that cause wars"

AIBU to think that he was wrong? To give context, it wasn't an angry or heated exchange at all and I wasn't offended by what he said but I didn't and don't agree. He compared it to the situation with Gaddaffi and "if we hadn't interfered when we weren't wanted then we wouldn't be in the mess we are in now". I just don't equate the two situations. To me, one was for political and financial gain whereas the other would be a case of human rights. Thought I'd post here and see your opinions?

"They know the risk of living in that country and if they choose to take it then it's on their own heads."

Because other countries are just falling over themselves to take refugees from illiberal regimes, aren't they?

Orlantina I was pointing out where some of this guy's response might be coming from.

I personally try practicing compassion with all those I come in contact with day to day, particularly where we are essentially forced to share common space like a workplace.

Orlantina I was pointing out where some of this guy's response might be coming from

You mean - if we go in with guns, we should think about planning for what happens afterwards?

That's probably sensible.

No I mean if you go into the office initiating political debates around human rights and international interference someone might see the issues and look at you in a different light to the way you see yourself.

Give people a break.

If the op had read along the lines of

" This colleague came in talking about gay rights somewhere and wanting "us" to do something. Well, there's another war started where we get people hating the West and get terrorists targeting the uk.. I am so fed up of all this. I was right to call her out as as a warmonger, right?

My answer would have suggested the writer shouldn't jump to conclusions about what the concerned colleague thought ought to be done and that yes we need to wake up and take notice that gays are being persecuted around the world. And thank goodness people do care.

Many of these thugs and right-wing palamilitaries are armed and funded by Western governments so, no, I don't think human rights abuses on this sort of scale are part of the normal culture of any society.

They said and did the same to the Irish. Including within groups like Sinn Fein.

Human rights violations are unacceptable and need to be dealt with properly. For the UK to wade in to another predominantly Muslim country and tell them that their interpretation of their religious teaching is wrong will inevitably lead to more of our children being killed. I don't have any answers, but that absolutely is not one.