Law enforcers publicly reproach two Chechen residents for their posts in social networks

Messages on social networks about the kidnapping of a child in Kurchaloi became a pretext for an "explanatory conversation" with two local residents at the building of the police department. Instagram users criticized law enforcers for the public reproach.

Tonight, a video entitled "Detained for spreading gossip" has been posted on the "Chechnya Life" public account on Instagram.

The video shows two young men being reproached by a Senior Police Lieutenant sitting at a table. "A child was kidnapped in Kurchaloi … Gossip. Have you seen someone kidnapping a child in Kurchaloi? Children have never been kidnapped in the republic. [...] I have always stopped and I will continue to stop those who spread gossip," the police officer said on the video, addressing the detainees, as translated from Chechen by the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent.

The conversation at the police department was provoked by the information about the kidnapping of a child in Kurchaloi disseminated in social networks. "The message caused a panic. The check showed that was false information," the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent has been today by the spokesman for the Chechen Ministry of Internal Affairs (MIA).

By 11:45 a.m. Moscow time, the post on Instagram gained more than 23,600 pageviews, and 94 comments were posted under it. Some users condemned the spread of gossip, while some others expressed their indignation about the law enforcers' reaction to messages on social networks.

"Okay, a man acted stupidly, without checking the information. He tried to help in search of an allegedly lost child, but why should he be shown in disgrace?" wrote user b1abuuu_95.

This article was originally published on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’ on October 8, 2019 at 11:48 am MSK. To access the full text of the article, click here.