12:14, 18 April 2020

AI demands from Kremlin to react to threats addressed to Milashina

Ramzan Kadyrov. Screenshot from video posted by ChGTRK 'Grozny': https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=8&v=vz5uSD2Z_2Y&feature=emb_logo.

Russian authorities should investigate the new threats of the head of Chechnya, Ramzan Kadyrov, to Elena Milashina, an observer of the "Novaya Gazeta" newspaper, and stop the persecution of journalists and human rights defenders in the republic, the Amnesty International (AI) has stated.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that on April 13, in his Telegram channel, Kadyrov commented on Milashina's article "Death from coronavirus is a lesser evil", which described the situation with the spread of coronavirus in Chechnya. He accused the "Novaya Gazeta" of "anti-Chechen bullying." On the same day, Kadyrov, speaking to his subordinates, expressed threats to the author of the article and her colleagues from the "Novaya Gazeta".

"If you want us to commit a crime and become criminals, then say so! One will take on this burden of responsibility and be punished according to the law. He'll go to jail and go out! Well, don't try to picture us as bandits and murderers," Kadyrov said during his live broadcast on the Instagram.

Russian authorities are obliged to give a proper legal assessment of the new Kadyrov's threats to Milashina and "immediately put an end to threats and attacks on journalists and human rights defenders in Chechnya," says the statement by Natalia Prilutskaya, an AI's researcher in Russia, posted on the AI's website on April 17. They should also "ensure an objective investigation of all reports about human rights violations in the region," the researcher has stated.

This article was originally published on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’ on April 17, 2020 at 11:19 pm MSK. To access the full text of the article, click here.