Residents of Chechnya criticize attack on Milashina and Dubrovina

It is unacceptable for a Chechen to attack a woman and a guest, Instagram users said in response to statements of local publics asserting that republic's residents had supported the attack on Elena Milashina, an observer of the "Novaya Gazeta" newspaper, and Marina Dubrovina, an advocate. The authorities are behind the attack, residents of Chechnya have suggested.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that late on November 6, Elena Milashina, a "Novaya Gazeta" journalist, and Marina Dubrovina, a Krasnodar lawyer, were attacked in the lobby of the "Continent" Hotel in Grozny. The attackers – a group of men and women – beat them up with hands and boots.

Some popular Chechen Instagram publics have tried to justify the attack on Milashina and Dubrovina. Thus, the public "ChP Chechnya" posted a note under the heading "Milashina provoked a protest against herself". "Throughout the day, she walked around Grozny, behaving impudently and finally received 'an answer' that has caused only a positive reaction among people," says the February 7 publication.

The post in the public "ChP Chechnya" has caused criticism of Instagram users. "What kind of an idiot wrote this text? 'Walking around Grozny, behaving impudently' ... Can't one walk around Grozny? What is the impudence? Milashina and Dubrovina came to Chechnya to the trial of Islam Nukhanov, a local resident, who posted on the YouTube a video about an elite cottage settlement in central Grozny," the user ozdo___06_ was indignant.

An attack on a woman and a guest is contrary to Chechen customs, the user steiki.grozny has pointed out.

"What do people have to do with it?! She was beaten by Kadyrov's guys, not Chechens. [A real] Chechen will never raise his hand on a woman," the user adam_alien has written.

This article was originally published on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’ on February 8, 2020 at 01:39 pm MSK. To access the full text of the article, click here.