Contents tagged with Chechnya

  • Chechen leader Kadyrov accuses the West of information attacks on Chechnya

    Chechen Leader Ramzan Kadyrov, at a meeting with senior law enforcement and special services officers stated that reports about violations of human rights in Chechnya are “information attacks” launched by western countries, as reported on the Chechen government website.

    In particular, Kadyrov said that despite the fact that “Chechnya is barely visible on a map” it frequently comes up as the center of attention of “western states and their minions in our country.” Kadyrov refuted “all …

  • Head of Memorial organization in Chechnya accused of possessing narcotics

    Oyub Titiev, head of the Memorial, a regional advocacy organization in Chechnya, has been charged according to article 228 of the Russian Criminal Code (illegal storing, acquisition and preparation of narcotics), Titiev’s lawyer told Novaya Gazeta.

    Yekaterina Sokiryanskaya, director of the Analysis and Conflict Prevention Center, claims that the narcotics were planted on Titiev.

    The press service of the regional Interior Ministry office in Chechnya told Interfax that “a polymer package with a …

  • Russia asks Facebook and Instagram to explain why Kadyrov’s account were blocked

    The Federal Service for Supervision of Communications, Information Technology, and Mass Media, (Roskomnadzor) asked the social networks, Facebook and Instagram, to provide explanations for blocking accounts belonging to the leadership of Chechnya, in particular, the Head of the Republic, Ramzan Kadyrov.

    On December 26th, Roskomnadzor sent a letter to Facebook’s management asking about the reasons for removing Ramzan Kadyrov's accounts from Facebook and Instagram," according to the Russian …

  • US imposes sanctions on head of Chechnya Kadyrov

    Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov was sanctioned by the United States under the Sergei Magnitsky Rule of Law Accountability Act of 2012 (the Magnitsky Act), according to the updated sanctions list published on the website of the U.S. Department of the Treasury.

    Besides Kadyrov, four other Russians were targeted under the Magnitsky Act: Ayub Kataev, Yulia Mayorova, Andrei Pavlov, and Alexei Sheshenya.

    The American authorities consider Kadyrov guilty of “killings, torture, and other gross …

  • Media: Kadyrov’s daughter opens erotic lingerie store in Chechnya

    18 year-old Aishat, daughter of Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov and head of the Firdaws fashion house, has opened store for erotic lingerie and intimate accessories, the Russian-language BBC service reports.

    In the Firdaws shopping center in Chechnya, Aishat owns a confectionery by the same name. The “Lady A” lingerie boutique has just been opened next to the confectionery, BBC clarified. The opening ceremony took place at the end of November.

    The shop sells intimate cosmetics. The boutique’s …

  • Human rights activists report on mass kidnapping of Chechnya residents

    The human rights society Memorial has reported the mass abduction of Grozny residents by Chechen law enforcement officers. At least seven have been kidnapped, Radio Liberty reports.

    According to Memorial, they are being held "in inhumane conditions" by militarized police forces in Grozny, in an unheated room, and have practically not been fed. Chechen law enforcement officers have not admitted any involvement in the disappearances of these individuals.

    Memorial intends to submit a request …

  • Montenegro suspects Kadyrov of involvement in an attempted coup

    Montenegrin prosecutors suspect that the head of Chechnya, Ramzan Kadyrov, campaigned for the leaders of the Montenegrin Muslim community to cooperate with the pro-Russian Democratic Front party, which, in their opinion, should lead to a change of power in the country, reported the Russian publication Izvestia.

    Podgorica believes that a criminal group including Russian nationalists planned a coup involving the assassination of Prime Minister Milo Djukanovic during the parliamentary elections …

  • Kadyrov believes that those sentenced for Nemtsov’s murder are innocent

    The Chechen Republic (Chechnya) natives sentenced to prison for the murder of prominent opposition leader, Boris Nemtsov, are not guilty, according to a statement made by the Head of the Chechen Republic, Ramzan Kadyrov, in an interview with to Russia-1.

    “According to the information I have they are not guilty. And that’s why I continue to insist that this is not just. Somebody was score-settling, killed Nemtsov, and shifted all the blame on Kadyrov. And now they say this rubbish: Kadyrov …

  • Victim mentioned in article on gay persecution in Chechnya speaks openly in Russia

    In Moscow a press conference was held with Maksim Lapunov, the first person to speak openly about the persecution of gays in the Chechen Republic without demanding anonymity, the BBC Russian service reports.

    Lapunov, a native of the Omsk province, said that he lived for two years in Chechnya. He claims that on March 16 he was arrested and held in a basement for 12 days. He has already written to the Russian Investigative Committee demanding a case be filed against the people who oppressed him. …

  • Kadyrov asks Russia to increase subsidies to Chechnya because of high birth rate

    In his Instagram post, the head of Chechnya, Ramzan Kadyrov, asked Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Kozak to take into account the high birth rate in the republic when formulating the budget.

    “We also touched upon the issue of high rates of population growth in Chechnya due to the high birth rate. This puts some work before us that requires prompt resolution. It should be taken into account when forming the budget,” he wrote.

    Kadyrov noted that when calculating subsidies when working out the …