In Chechnya, series of blood feud declarations meets no authorities' counteraction

The declaration of blood feud to several families in Chechnya is backed by republic's authorities, Ruslan Kutaev, the head of the Assembly of Caucasian Nations, has stated. The Kremlin connives at republic's authorities by ignoring the phenomenon of blood feud, political analysts assert.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that in September, Akhmed Arsnukaev, a resident of Chechnya, claimed that a group of armed men had attacked him, his wife and child in Istanbul. According to his version, he was forced by threats to record a video slandering the leadership of Chechnya, and also demanded to record insults addressed to law enforcers' wives and daughters. After that, he declared a blood feud against four families – the Naurbaevs, Khalitovs, Mamakaevs and Azhievs.

Members of the Khalitov and Mamakaev families has been kidnapped by Chechen law enforcers and then released, Khasan Khalitov, a critic of Chechen authorities living in Turkey, and Ilman Mamakaev, who lives in Europe, have stated. They have associated the incident with the beating in Istanbul of a Ramzan Kadyrov's supporter – but not Arsnukaev, but Abdurakhman Maduev, an ex-serviceman of the Akhmat Kadyrov Regiment.

Arsnukaev would not have made his loud statements about blood feud without the support of the Chechen authorities, Ruslan Kutaev has noted. He linked Arsnukaev's words with "Chechen authorities' inadequate ideas about the blood feud."

"The blood feud is declared only in the event of a person's death ... Arsnukaev is trying to compensate for his cowardice; and he and his family will have to answer for insulting these people," Mr Kutaev has stated.

He is sceptical about the programme of reconciliation of feudists undertaken by Chechen authorities. Ruslan Kutaev also believes that the Kremlin "deeply does not care" about how Kadyrov will keep Chechen residents in his grip.

The Kremlin has no time for such problems as blood feud in Chechnya, said Alexei Malashenko, a political analyst.