Chechen public employees obliged to come to subbotniks under threat of dismissals

In the Grozny District of Chechnya, employees of rural administrations and public institutions are regularly obliged to take participate in subbotniks (Saturday voluntary works), reported participants of the events themselves.

"On August 22, we were sent to a subbotnik. We spent half of the day removing garbage and cleaning up the terrain along the motorway to Grozny. The authorities explained that the subbotnik was organized at the direction of the district administration. No one can ignore subbotniks, while if anyone expresses his discontent, he will be offered to write a letter to leave on his own. That is why everyone takes part in subbotniks, and everyone keeps silence," said Aset, an employee a local enterprises, when commenting on the recent case of forced labour.

"Each organization is instructed to clean its territory, whitewash trees and mow grass along the roads. Instead of being engaged in our direct duties, we cleaned the streets all day. Those subbotniks are a big problem, since we do someone else's work every spring, summer, and autumn," noted Maryam, a staff member of a hospital.

Earlier, residents of Chechnya have also complained about being forced to participate in various events organized by the authorities in Grozny, including a procession in honour of the anniversary of the counterterrorist operation (CTO) legal regime cancellation, subbotniks, cleaning of cemeteries, and a rally on the occasion of the Day of Russia.