Caucasian scholars explain authorities' angry reaction to complaints from residents of Chechnya

The harsh reaction to the message of a woman from Alkhazurovo about problems with water supply was caused by the tacit intention of Chechen authorities to speak only positively about the situation in the republic, the analysts interviewed by the "Caucasian Knot" have noted.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that on September 6, elders of the village of Alkhazurovo condemned a local woman who had complained about problems with water supply.

The experts interviewed by the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent have commented on the story of the public condemnation of the woman, stating that Chechen authorities treat criticism negatively.

According to Ruslan Kutaev, President of the Assembly of Caucasian Nations, in Chechnya, it is believed that residents of the republic are nicely provided with water, gas and electricity, and if something interrupts, officials are punished rather harshly. "Hence such a reaction of the authorities," he has noted.

"They don't like critics here. Everything should be excellent; therefore, you can't say that something is bad," said Oyub Titiev, a human rights defender.

An expert, who is well aware of the situation in Chechnya, but who wished to maintain his anonymity, has noted that Chechen authorities "are most worried about not whether there is water or not, but about the reaction of the population to absence of basic amenities." "Everyone is accustomed to the fact that since Kadyrov is the republic's head, it is prospering; but here a woman says that there is no water supply – nonsense," the expert said stressing that if authorities had a healthy attitude towards criticism, they would have criticized not the woman, but the village administration and the ministry in charge of public utilities.

This article was originally published on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’ on September 8, 2021 at 04:47 am MSK. To access the full text of the article, click here.