19:48, 19 October 2019

Critic of Chechen blogger Tumso Abdurakhmanov wins promotion

Tumso Abdurakhmanov (on the left) and Chingiz Akhmadov. Screenshots of the videos: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B0d3Li-O6oA, https://www.instagram.com/p/B05ghk9oGeE/

Chingiz Akhmadov, a journalist of the "Grozny" TV Channel, has been appointed director of the "Chechnya Today" Agency. Akhmadov is regularly posting video replies to the blogger, Tumso Abdurakhmanov, in social networks in defence of Chechen authorities.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that on April 14, Ramzan Kadyrov said that journalists should stop the "liars spreading gossips." The blogger, Tumso Abdurakhmanov, with whom Chechen officials had been arguing for several months, treated the mobilization of Chechen mass media as his victory.

The officials' public discussions with the blogger are the first long open dialogue of Chechen authorities with opposition-minded people.

Chingiz Akhmadov is known in Chechnya as an Abdurakhmanov's implacable opponent – he has run a long dispute with him on the Instagram.

Residents of Chechnya treat Akhmadov's elevation as expected. Magomed, a journalist, has linked Akhmadov's promotion primarily with his fight against Tumso.

"Chingiz has distinguished himself by constantly criticizing Tumso, exposing him in an unsightly light," he said.

Meanwhile, the interviewed analysts believe that Akhmadov is disputing with Abdurakhmanov on his own initiative, without any orders from the top.

This article was originally published on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’ on October 19, 2019 at 04:01 am MSK. To access the full text of the article, click here.

Source: CK correspondents