Kadyrov's critics treat agency for helping Chechens in Europe as threat

Ramzan Kadyrov is trying to strengthen control over his critics in Europe, and to bribe some Diaspora members by setting up an agency for relations with fellow countrymen abroad, the analysts interviewed by the "Caucasian Knot" have stated.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that on August 27, Ramzan Kadyrov instructed Akhmed Dudaev, the Minister of Information and Press of Chechnya, to launch the work of the national agency for relations with the Chechen natives living abroad.

By creating the agency for relations with Chechens in Europe, Kadyrov is trying to keep them under his control, said Alexei Malashenko, a political analyst and the head of scientific studies at the "Dialogue of Civilizations" Institute.

"It's important for him to show that Chechens support him everywhere and do as he wants," Mr Malashenko told the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent.

Kadyrov has created the agency because he sees a threat to his reputation in the Chechen Diaspora in Europe, Sergey Davidis, a human rights defender, believes. "Since the Chechen Diaspora is huge; and it contains many members who accuse Kadyrov of [...] human rights violations; this is a problem for the head of Chechnya. Therefore, he is doing everything to keep the Diaspora under his control and to minimize all reputational risks and all kinds of criticism," Mr Davidis told the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent.

In his opinion, the creation of the agency is an attempt to bribe Chechens in Europe. "They (authorities) force people living in Europe, in various ways [...] to be silent and not to criticize them. And the creation of the agency is a kind of bribery of Diaspora members," the rights defender has emphasized.

This article was originally published on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’ on August 31, 2020 at 10:22 pm MSK. To access the full text of the article, click here.