Chechen authorities report completion of cleaning Christian cemeteries, state employees claim being forced to work

In Chechnya, Christian cemeteries have been properly cleaned for the upcoming celebration of the Orthodox Easter, which will be held on April 20. This was reported by officials from the Chechen Ministry on National Policy, External Relations, Press and Information. Here, several hundred former residents of Chechnya are expected to arrive to celebrate the holiday. Against this background, state employees complain of being forced to clean Christian cemeteries.

Let us remind you that in this February, after complaints against acts of vandalism on Christian cemeteries in Chechnya, which were filed by Russian residents of the republic, staff members of the Human Rights Centre (HRC) "Memorial" visited the central cemetery in Grozny and cemeteries in some villages and acknowledged the rightness of the complainants' statements.

To clean the cemeteries, cities and districts organized Saturday voluntary works that involved employees of ministries and institutions, students and senior schoolchildren. This was told to the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent by an official from the Chechen Ministry on National Policy, External Relations, Press and Information.

Employees of Chechen state institutions claim their participation in cleaning of Christian cemeteries is not voluntary.

According to an official from the Spiritual Administration of Muslims (SAM) of Chechnya, maintenance of cemeteries is the responsibility of all people regardless of their nationality or religion.