Rights defenders assess new wave of fight against car window tinting in Chechnya

The new stage of counteracting car window tinting in Chechnya entails additional risks for drivers, but residents of the republic mainly tint their cars when they use then outside the republic’s borders.

The “Caucasian Knot” has reported that on January 8, the head of Chechnya called tinting any car windows in Chechnya unacceptable and suggested that those who are afraid of the raids "stay at home." In late 2023, drivers in Chechnya faced new raids conducted by law enforcers against car tinting; attempts to argue with the police resulted in subpoenas, local residents explained. In December 2024, road checks in Chechnya were stepped up. The ban on window tinting in Chechnya does not apply to the head of the republic himself and his close associates, commentators have pointed out.

Akhmed Visaliev, who is engaged in car window tinting in Chechnya, said that the republic has strict requirements for the window glass transparency. Therefore, according to his version, there is no point in tinting local cars. "Sooner or later they will stop you, and you will have to remove the tinting. Because of this, many people prefer to do tinting in the neighbouring Ingushetia," he has noted.

Marina Zaporozhnaya, a legal consultant for the Association of Auto Lawyers, has reported that the tinting rules have remained unchanged since 2016. According to her story, they can be tightened by the decision of the authorities of Russian subjects (regions). "In this case, we are talking about Chechnya, where the rules for tinting car windows have been tightened," she said.

A human rights defender familiar with the Chechen realities said that there are frequent cases when law enforcers have torn off tinting from cars.

Ruslan Kutaev, a political analyst, does not rule out that for violating this traffic rule, drivers can be send to the special military operation (SMO) zone in Ukraine.