"1adat" instructs Chechen residents on law enforcers' attempts to examine smartphones

The smartphone's memory must be regularly cleared of the data that may be of interest to Chechen law enforcers, the authors of the "1adat" Telegram Channel have advised in connection with the mass phone checks launched in Chechnya.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that, according to local residents, during recent raids, Chechen law enforcers used to check not only documents, but also mobile phones, inquiring about the applications installed therein. Law enforcers checked whether local residents comment on the messages of critics of the authorities posted in social networks, residents of Chechnya have suggested.

Chechen law enforcers have expanded their long-standing practice of examining phones, according to today's publication of the "1adat" Telegram Channel. "It started a long time ago, but it just didn't have such a massive character as it's now," the authors of the anonymous Telegram channel have reported.

They emphasize that phone checks contradict the Russian and the Sharia laws, as well as Chechen traditions – the Adats.

The Telegram channel urges its subscribers from Chechnya to "carefully observe their digital security." "Under no circumstances go out into the street with the Telegram installed in your phone. Remove the media auto-downloading, and constantly clean your phone; don't give these slaves a chance of finding fault with you. If necessary, let everyone gets unsubscribed, so that not a single free person falls into the clutches of these sadists," wrote the authors of the channel.

This article was originally published on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’ on October 3, 2020 at 05:01 pm MSK. To access the full text of the article, click here.