Gifts to Chechen law enforcers show Kadyrov's hierarchical consciousness

Ramzan Kadyrov finds it necessary to encourage only the law enforcers' elite close to him; therefore only commanders received expensive cars as gifts for maroon berets, the human rights defenders interviewed by the "Caucasian Knot" have noted.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that earlier in October, a conflict broke out among "Rosgvardiya" (Russian National Guard) servicemen during a speed march as part of the tests for obtaining maroon berets held in the Stavropol Territory. The "Vityaz" fighters claimed that law enforcers from Chechnya had received their maroon berets undeservedly. However, the Akhmat Kadyrov Fund presented Mercedes Benz cars to two out of the seven Chechen law enforcers who received the right to wear maroon berets after the October tests in the Stavropol Territory.

The Kadyrov's entourage, like the Chechen leader himself, has completely ignored the scandal surrounding the tests for obtaining maroon berets; and Chechen authorities have ignored numerous media reports and criticism in social networks, said Svetlana Gannushkina, the chair of the "Civil Assistance" Committee*.

Giving expensive cars not to everyone who had passed the tests, but only to the commanders, is another way to publicly encourage the elite of Chechen law enforcers, by ignoring the rest of the fighters, Ms Gannushkina has stressed. "The main point is [to encourage] the bosses. Kadyrov has a hierarchical consciousness," she has concluded.

Kadyrov and his entourage would not comment on the scandal, so as not to attach importance to it; otherwise the fact of the brawl and unfair contest will receive additional confirmation, said Oleg Orlov, a board member of the Human Rights Centre (HRC) "Memorial"*.

The fact that only law enforcers' bosses received the above cars suggests that only people especially close to the elites are encouraged in Kadyrov's entourage, Mr Orlov has stressed.

*The organizations have been included by the Russian Ministry of Justice (MoJ) into the register of foreign agents.

This article was originally published on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’ on October 25, 2021 at 11:28 pm MSK. To access the full text of the article, click here.