Week in the Caucasus: review of main events of June 5-11, 2023

Public activities of Ramzan Kadyrov, persecution of pacifists and activists in Southern Russia, Gayane Akopyan’s case, and official data on the natives of Southern Russia who perished in Ukraine, – see the review of these and other events in the Caucasus during the week of June 5-11, 2023, prepared by the “Caucasian Knot”.

Public activities of Ramzan Kadyrov

Last week, Ramzan Kadyrov commented on his conflict with Yevgeny Prigozhin, a founder of the “Wagner” private military company (PMC). The leader of Chechnya confirmed that he agreed “in a man style” with Yevgeny Prigozhin not to criticize each other, that is, the Chechen military units and the “Wagner” PMC. At the same time, the leader of Chechnya expressed his indignation that Yevgeny Prigozhin mentioned the death of Sulim Yamadaev.

Ramzan Kadyrov also wrote on his Telegram channel that he “read with satisfaction” Yevgeny Prigozhin’s statement of June 9, in which the founder of the “Wagner” PMC congratulated soldiers and officers of the Russian army on their successes in the Zaporozhye direction. Ramzan Kadyrov has emphasized that more than 6000 Chechen fighters stay there.

On June 7, the leader of Chechnya wrote about the number of Chechen military units in the special military operation in Ukraine. Ramzan Kadyrov mentioned that the “Akhmat” special forces alone comprised three divisions and also wrote about the possibility of “taking” at least three European countries by the Chechen forces. The leader of Chechnya has also emphasized that he “personally checked the quality and capabilities” of a new batch of military vehicles and equipment.

Persecution of pacifists and activists in Southern Russia

In Southern Russia, courts continued to fine residents of the regions for criticizing the special military operation or supporting Ukraine. On June 11, it became known that the Akhtynsky District Court of Dagestan fined local resident Roman Obukhov for his posts in a messenger, in which he compared fighters of the Russian army and the “Wagner” PMC with the heroes of the John Ronald Tolkien’s novel “The Lord of the Rings”. On its official website, the Leninsky District Court of Krasnodar published the information about the fines imposed on local residents Grigory Belik and Danila Zinner. In the Ust-Labinsk District of the Krasnodar Territory, a court fined Dmitry Batygin, finding him guilty of discrediting the Russian Armed Forces.

It also became known that the Promyshlenny District Court of Vladikavkaz fined local resident because of his post in the social media. Alan Kusov’s post was discovered by the police while they were monitoring the Internet. The Privolzhsky District Court of the Astrakhan Region fined local resident Alexander Grebenschikov, who shouted slogans in support of Ukraine in a grocery store.

The Georgievsky District Court of the Stavropol Territory found Artyom Artemiev, a resident of Georgievsk, guilty of disseminating a video with a negative assessment of the special military operation in Ukraine and fined him.

In the Elbrus District of Kabardino-Balkaria, law enforcers drew up a protocol on discrediting the Russian Armed Forces against local resident Vladimir Kryachko. An administrative case against Trofim Mamelin, a resident of Krasnodar, was submitted for consideration by the Soviet District Court of Krasnodar. Maxim Shilov, a resident of Astrakhan, was accused of discrediting the Russian Armed Forces because of his comments on the “VKontakte” social network. The police drew up a protocol against Timur Ryzhkov, a resident of Krasnodar, accusing him of discrediting the Russian Armed Forces. A court sent a similar case against a teenager from Tuapse to the commission on juvenile affairs.

Gayane Akopyan’s case

Gayane Akopyan, a mother of a soldier who perished in the Karabakh war in 2020, has been accused of attempting to kidnap Ashot Pashinyan, a son of Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan. According to a version voiced by parents of the dead soldiers, activists met Ashot Pashinyan on the street and offered him to go with them to a military cemetery, he got into their car, but then jumped out of it while it was driving and ran away.

Advocates of Gayane Akopyan decided to stop defending her, stating that Nikol Pashinyan instructed the law enforcement and judicial systems to issue a guilty verdict and that the authorities are putting pressure on the investigators and the court. On June 5, the court of appeal placed Gayane Akopyan under house arrest, but on the same day the court returned her to custody.

On June 9, the Yerevan Court sentenced Gayane Akopyan in the case on an attempted kidnapping of Nikol Pashinyan’s son to 3 years 11 months of conditional sentence and released her.

Official data on natives of Southern Russia perished in Ukraine

Since the beginning of the special military operation, the authorities and the law enforcement bodies reported about at least 2067 residents of Southern Russia perished in Ukraine, including 1113 residents of the North-Caucasian Federal District (NCFD) and 954 residents of the Southern Federal District (SFD).

In Dagestan, the authorities reported about 520 local residents perished in Ukraine, in the Volgograd Region – 375, in the Rostov Region – 229, in North Ossetia – 185, in Kuban – 151, in the Stavropol Territory – 154, in the Astrakhan Region – 146, in Chechnya – 102, in Kabardino-Balkaria – 95, in Ingushetia – 36, in Adygea – 29, in Kalmykia – 24, and in Karachay-Cherkessia – 21.