While there was no excitement about the clip in Chechnya, in Russia it is referred to as “video evidence of a crime.” Calls for criminal prosecution are becoming louder.
A video released by Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov of his 15-year-old son beating a defenseless man has sparked strong reactions in Russia. The Chechen leader himself commented on Adam Kadyrov’s video that he was proud of his son.
The victim is said to be a 19-year-old who was arrested in May for publicly burning the Koran and later transferred to the Russian republic of Chechnya, which is predominantly inhabited by Muslims.
But there were also calls for the boy to be prosecuted. The Kremlin did not want to comment on the scandal.
Outrage in Russia
According to Russian human rights commissioner Tatjana Moskalkova, the man had already reported the mistreatment in August. Although burning a Koran is a “socially dangerous act that hurts the religious feelings of millions of believers,” Moskalkova wrote on Telegram after the video was published that only a court could punish the man.
Civil rights activists have been accusing Kadyrov and the leadership in Chechnya of serious human rights violations such as abductions, torture and murder for years.
Yeva Merkachova from the Russian President’s Civil Rights Council, however, spoke of “video evidence of a crime” and called for an investigation to be initiated and the beating victim to be transferred from Chechen custody.
However, according to the Russian newspaper Kommersant, the prisoner is currently without legal representation. His lawyer Alexander Serebrenikov resigned from the mandate. Serebrenikov is said to have refused to watch the video of the abuse in order to prove the identity of the victim.
Chechnya unimpressed
There was no criticism of the video in Chechnya itself. Kadyrov’s cousin Adam Delimkhanov, a member of the Russian parliament, described the abuse as “a worthy example for his peers.”
According to the BBC’s assessment, citing Russian lawyers, at least nine Russian laws are broken in the video and the Russian constitution and the international convention against torture are violated.
Source: Stern
I have been working in the news industry for over 6 years, first as a reporter and now as an editor. I have covered politics extensively, and my work has appeared in major newspapers and online news outlets around the world. In addition to my writing, I also contribute regularly to 24 Hours World.
