Kadyrov instructed law enforcement to look for provocateurs ahead of the elections.

The head of Chechnya, Ramzan Kadyrov, demanded that law enforcement intensify the fight against provocateurs and dissent in the republic ahead of the elections and criticized young people who, in his opinion, misuse religious clothing.

As reported by "Caucasian Knot", a campaign for the elections of the head of the republic is taking place in Chechnya, scheduled for September 18-20. The current head of the republic, Ramzan Kadyrov, is running for this position again.

Kadyrov gave instructions to law enforcement ahead of the elections

Kadyrov held a "meeting with the leaders of the law enforcement agencies" on September 8, which he reported on his Telegram channel. As a result, he instructed to "maintain heightened vigilance and ensure safety and law and order in the republic both during the upcoming elections and on a permanent basis," it is stated in the Telegram channel of the head of Chechnya.

Kadyrov paid special attention to "working with youth," pointing out the need to "timely suppress any attempts to spread extremist and other alien ideologies." This work, noted the head of Chechnya, "should not be limited to the territory of the republic." He named the commander of the special police regiment, Zamid Chalaev, as responsible for "communication with youth" outside the region.

The Telegram channel "Emergency Grozny 95," describing the meeting held by the head of the republic, reported that Kadyrov also commented on the appearance of young people, noting those who wear "excessively long beards and shortened trousers," but do so "not for religious reasons, but as a tribute to some fashion." "At the same time, they don't even go to the mosque... They walk around the avenues at night..." he stated.

Kadyrov also touched on the issue of women's attire. He criticized the wearing of clothing that completely covers the face. According to him, young people should adhere to religious requirements in their wardrobe, rather than adopting external elements of Arab culture, the publication states.

The head of the republic stated that certain "shaitans" are allegedly preparing provocations during the election campaign.

"Every employee knows that he is responsible not only for himself but also for every representative of the republic. We have defeated terrorism, as you know. But they are afraid that our people will be united, that there will be unity and harmony in Chechnya, that there will be agreement with those who have left. (...) Some people who have left are sitting abroad. These shaitans propagate evil, teaching our guys here: 'You go stab with a knife, and you shoot.' If you have suspicions about such people, go to their homes, you will be held accountable. We all must work on this. Today, especially, the West, Europe, and NATO hate us. They provoke so that there is no peace and harmony in our republic," (source of translation "Caucasian Knot" can be provided upon request).

In Chechnya, collective irresponsibility has become a method of combating dissent.

In the fight against terrorism, Kadyrov has tightened collective responsibility for relatives of those declared attackers on law enforcement or dissenters.

17:57 14.04.2025

How Kadyrov tightened collective responsibility in Chechnya

After the attack on the traffic police post on April 7, 2025, the relatives of the killed attacker received threats of eviction beyond Chechnya from Ramzan Kadyrov. Similar threats based on collective responsibility had been voiced by the head of Chechnya before, but now repressions threaten even distant relatives of the person responsible for the attack.

Thus, on April 7, 2025, it became known about an armed knife attack on traffic police officers in Achkhoy-Martan, one of the law enforcement officers was killed as a result of the attack. The teenager who committed the attack was killed at the scene of the incident. His body was brought for viewing to forcibly gathered budget employees at the administration. The motive for the attack was a personal conflict of the young man with one of the law enforcement officers at the post, although Ramzan Kadyrov named a certain "citizen of Ukraine" as the organizer of the attack. It also became known that the father of the teenager was taken from Moscow to Chechnya and beaten. A Chechen opposition Telegram channel reported that law enforcement detained all relatives of the attacker, including his underage cousins. Human rights activists called such actions by the Chechen authorities "medieval savagery."

It should be noted that Ramzan Kadyrov has repeatedly reported on the victory over terrorism. For example, in January 2021, after the killing of a group of militants led by Aslan Byutukaev in Kattar-Yurt, Ramzan Kadyrov stated that the armed underground in Chechnya had been defeated. On June 23 of the same year, Vladimir Putin called Chechnya one of the safest regions in the country and attributed this to Kadyrov. However, on July 9, an armed attack on police officers occurred in Grozny. The attacker used a knife, and law enforcement fatally wounded this person with service weapons. It is premature to speak of the end of armed conflicts in the republic after the killing of the group of militants led by Aslan Byutukaev in Kattar-Yurt, as a new generation dissatisfied with the authorities' policies is growing up in the republic, experts surveyed by "Caucasian Knot" pointed out even before the July incident.