Human rights groups have accused him of a string of abuses, including the forced disappearance of opponents, torture and the persecution of homosexuals. Critics have linked Ramzan Kadyrov to several assassinations, some of them in Europe, but he denies involvement.
In he praised a Chechen security officer charged over the Moscow killing of Boris Nemtsov, who had been one of President Vladimir Putin's most prominent critics. Mr Kadyrov said Zaur Dadayev, a Russian Interior Ministry officer, was "sincerely devoted to Russia, ready to give his life for the motherland". In Dadayev and four others were jailed for the murder. He was given the Order of Honour for "work achievements, strenuous social activities and long conscientious service".
In February thousands of people marched through Moscow to honour Nemtsov , five years after he was assassinated. Mr Kadyrov has voiced strong support for the pro-Putin rebels in eastern Ukraine and for Russia's annexation of Crimea. Earlier this month Facebook blocked his Instagram account, citing the US sanctions. He had more than 1. His Facebook account was blocked in Like Mr Putin, Ramzan Kadyrov adopts a macho image - he likes to be filmed posing with guns, fraternising with the military and supporting martial arts contests.
In , Mr Putin appointed him Chechen president. His father, Akhmad, who was elected president in a disputed vote in was assassinated a few months later in a bomb blast. Ramzan Kadyrov already had a powerful, much-feared private militia called the "Kadyrovtsy". Human rights groups accuse them of torture, kidnappings and assassinations in Chechnya, a mainly Muslim republic left devastated by war in the s.
He had not always backed the Moscow leadership. In the early s, he and his father joined the rebels fighting Russian forces in the first war for independence.
They switched sides at the start of the second Chechen war in Islamist militancy became more acute in republics near Chechnya just as Mr Putin was trying to consolidate his presidency in Moscow. Those who criticise official shortcomings in Chechnya are sometimes paraded humiliatingly on local state-controlled TV.
Ramzan Kadyrov appears in public after Covid illness reports. Chechen strongman did not confirm hospitalisation but appeared to have cannula in arm. Published: 27 May Brief letters Kadyrov is a despot, not a strongman. Published: 25 May Ramzan Kadyrov not seen publicly since reports he has coronavirus. Published: 22 May Chechen strongman Ramzan Kadyrov 'hospitalised with suspected Covid'. Putin ally reportedly flown to Moscow for treatment, Russian state news agencies report.
Published: 21 May Kremlin urged to protect Russian journalist after alleged threats by Chechen leader. Published: 21 Apr Chechen blogger escapes apparent assassination bid in Sweden. Tumso Abdurakhmanov is the latest victim of a murder attempt after similar attacks on exiled dissidents. Published: 27 Feb Outspoken Chechen blogger found murdered in Lille. Published: 3 Feb Still, Kadyrov has never publicly indicated whether he himself has other wives.
At official events, he appears only with Medni, with whom he has 12 biological and two adopted children. Several residents of the village confirmed the marriage. He also confirmed that she and Ramzan are married. Soon after they began their relationship, he recalls, her brother began to get rich, upgrading from a cheap Russian Lada to a Porsche Cayenne.
Right across from that residence, on the other side of the river, stands the luxurious mansion of almost 1, square meters, built in the late s, that land records show now belongs to Khazueva. It sits on nearly a hectare of land and boasts an outdoor swimming pool, a rare amenity in Grozny.
She does not have an apartment there, but his first wife, Medni, does. These parking spaces led reporters to another Kadyrov family secret: His official wife, Medni, appears to use two identities. According to the documents, Fatima bought the parking spaces from a certain Medni Musayevna Musayeva, from whom she also acquired one of the Moscow apartments. This is not her publicly known birthday, but it is the one that appears in her documents. A share of a Moscow apartment belonging to the Kadyrov family was registered in the name of Medni Musayeva, and not Medni Kadyrova, as might have been expected.
Chechnya is one of the poorest regions of Russia. The Chechen leader is also known for his habit of squandering money in public and for giving lavish gifts. Where does the money come from? During the COVID pandemic it supplied Chechens with food packages and money, and reportedly even promised to pay the traditional bride price for women. Kadyrov says that it receives no state funds and earns money on its own, including through business.
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