21:15, 19 December 2019

Dispute on Hero of Russia title puts Sokurov on a par with Kadyrov's critics

Ramzan Kadyrov (left) and Alexander Sokurov. Photo: REUTERS/Sergei Karpukhin, REUTERS/Stefano Rellandini

Doubts voiced by film director Alexander Sokurov concerning whether Akhmat and Ramzan Kadyrov deserved the title of Hero of Russia provoked a harsh reaction from subordinates of the Chechen leader, and the film director entered the list of people who dared to criticize Ramzan Kadyrov directly.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that the Alexander Sokurov's proposal to review the status of the title of Hero of Russia caused a resonance in Chechnya. Ramzan Kadyrov and Magomed Daudov, the speaker of the Chechen parliament, another Hero of Russia, accused Alexander Sokurov of provocation. On December 12, almost two dozen Chechen scientists and workers of culture signed an angry appeal to Alexander Sokurov. They believe his doubts that Ramzan Kadyrov was worthy of the title Hero of Russia are unreasonable.

On December 10, film director Alexander Sokurov invited Russian President Vladimir Putin to "review the status" of the title of Hero of Russia. The film director noted that both the leader of Chechnya and the Pskov paratroopers killed in a battle with Basaev's militants were awarded the status of Hero of Russia. The Russian President objected that a person who "sided with Russia" deserved the Hero of Russia award. Alexander Sokurov admitted that he was upset by the President Putin's response.

Alexander Sokurov was not the first public person to question the feasibility of awarding Ramzan Kadyrov the title of Hero of Russia. On January 13, 2016, the same question was raised by Konstantin Senchenko, a delegate of the City Council of Krasnoyarsk.

The very day after the Konstantin Senchenko's appeal, the website of the "Grozny" ChGTRK (Chechen State TV and Radio Company) released an audio record with the delegate's apologies to Ramzan Kadyrov. Later, the delegate denied that he had commented with an apology.

Two other well-known opponents of Ramzan Kadyrov were killed.

On February 27, 2015, Russian politician Boris Nemtsov was shot dead in the centre of Moscow. The court found five natives of Chechnya and Ingushetia guilty of involvement in the politician's his murder. Boris Nemtsov and Ramzan Kadyrov have strained relations since the early 2000s.

On July 15, 2009, Natalia Estemirova, a staff member of the representative office of the Human Rights Centre (HRC) "Memorial" in Grozny, was kidnapped and killed. The year before, according to Oleg Orlov, the chairman of the HRC "Memorial" Council, "Ramzan Kadyrov invited Natalia Estemirova to visit him and sharply reprimanded her for criticizing the authorities of the republic."

In July 2009, the Norwegian Helsinki Committee called the assassination of Natalia Estemirova "a part of a longer chain of killings of the people who dared to criticize" Ramzan Kadyrov.

This article was originally published on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’ on December 19, 2019 at 05:12 pm MSK. To access the full text of the article, click here.