Kadyrov declares authors of reports about detentions in Chechnya to be enemies

Ramzan Kadyrov has ordered law enforcers to find and punish those residents of Chechnya who spread information about kidnappings and detentions in the republic. His order to search for "gossipers" in the around-the-clock regime was issued after publications about the detention of 25 residents of Chechnya for a photo collage with the head of the republic.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that on January 25, 2020, media reported about the detention in Chechnya of 25 persons, involved in spreading a photo collage, in which Kadyrov is depicted in the attire of an Orthodox priest. On January 27, the above Djambulat Umarov stated that reports about the detention of 25 Chechen residents are untrue. At the same time, he announced that the punishment for authors of collages and caricatures is permissible and appropriate.

At his meeting with the republic's law enforcement bosses, Ramzan Kadyrov demanded to identify and punish "distributors of rumours and gossips, as follows from the report of the "Grozny" ChGTRK (Chechen State TV and Radio Company), posted on January 28 on the company's YouTube channel.

"Who is spreading gossips? – Chechens do. Although the websites are based in Moscow and Europe, but who helps them in spreading rumours? – Chechens do. Those, who spread gossips, are the enemy No. 1. We are responsible for the order and security in our region. 'This one was imprisoned; that one was detained; and that one was taken away' ... We've invited a person for a talk, and set him free in two hours – and they write that he had been detained," said Kadyrov, whose words were translated into Russian by the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent.

Also, the head of Chechnya has demanded to "identify and punish," in around-the-clock mode, those who publish such information. "We'll fight hard with such people, if they can be called people ... They should respond for what they write," Ramzan Kadyrov has emphasized.

This article was originally published on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’ on January 29, 2020 at 05:19 pm MSK. To access the full text of the article, click here.