HRW calls on stars to return their royalties for performing in Grozny on Day of the City

The Hollywood stars and other celebrities who were invited to the mass celebrations of the Day of the City in Grozny, which coincided with the birthday of the head of Chechnya Ramzan Kadyrov, should refuse from the money or gifts they received, the Human Rights Watch (HRW) believes.

Let us remind you that on October 5 the performers in the concert were Vanessa Mae, British singer Seal, twice "Oscar" laureate Hilary Swank, Sofia Rotaru, Ukrainian singer Ruslana, and Russian singers Yulia Savicheva and Katya Lel. The welcoming speeches to the audience were pronounced by the Hollywood actor Jean Claude Van Damme, film director Sergey Bondarchuk, and actor Sergey Bezrukov.

"When stars get paid for their participation in his (Kadyrov's) party, it debases the sufferings of countless victims of human rights violations," says the report of the HRW.

According to media reports, for a half-hour performance Vanessa Mae was promised 500,000 US dollars, the "Gazeta.Ru" writes.

Ramzan Kadyrov, when asked about the sources of financing of the republic, said, during the celebrations of the Day of the City in Grozny on October 5, that the money arrives "from Allah." "Allah gives; I don't know; somehow money appears," said Kadyrov, as quoted by the "Russian News Service".