YouTube blocks channels of Chechen sports organizations "Akhmat"

The US sanctions have resulted in the blocking of the YouTube channels of the "Akhmat" Football Club (FC) and the "Absolute Championship Akhmat" (ACA) MMA organization. The top managers of the promotion organization said they were not involved in human rights violations.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that on December 10, the United States expanded the Magnitsky list and, among others, included in it the "Akhmat" FC, the "Akhmat" fight (MMA) club, and the Akhmat Kadyrov Foundation. The "Akhmat" fight club will not be able to attract sponsors' funds from abroad and invite foreign fighters because of the US sanctions, while the "Akhmat" FC will be less affected by the sanctions, sports observers suggest.

"The Google American corporation, which owns the YouTube video hosting, has illegally blocked the YouTube channel of the ACA Russian MMA League in connection with the US sanctions and the inclusion of the ACA on the Magnitsky lists. I believe that the US sanctions that have come into force against our organization without a regulation and a trial are completely illegal. The rights of the legal entity, the principles of competition, and the right to defence have been violated," said ACA President Alexei Yatsenko as quoted by the website of the "Absolute Championship Akhmat".

The ACA President has also noted that the blocking of the YouTube channel damaged the interests of the millions of fans who followed the MMA fights organized by the "Absolute Championship Akhmat".

Earlier, in May 2020, Instagram deleted the Ramzan Kadyrov's page because of the US sanctions. In 2017, the United States added the leader of Chechnya to the Magnitsky sanctions list and called Ramzan Kadyrov responsible for extrajudicial executions, torture, and other human rights violations in Chechnya.