Chechnya's Strongman Praises Putin, Threatens 'Traitors'
Source: NPR
In Soviet times, it was common for government critics to be branded as "traitors" and "enemies of the people." That sort of rhetoric largely faded away after the Soviet Union fell a quarter-century ago. But now, it's returned — and much of it is coming from Ramzan Kadyrov, the leader of the Russian republic of Chechnya.
Kadyrov likes to portray himself as an action hero from the rugged Caucasus Mountains of southern Russia. The 39-year-old leader appears to have nearly unlimited power in the predominantly Muslim Russian republic, which historically has had troubled relations with Moscow, including two wars in the post-Soviet period. But Kadyrov has aligned himself closely with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
In a pro-government rally last week in Grozny, the Chechen capital, tens of thousands of people turned out, though some told reporters that they'd been ordered to attend. Kadyrov wasn't there, but one of his closest political allies, Adam Delimkhanov, whipped up the crowd with shouts of "Allahu akbar" (God is great) and a denunciation of Putin's opposition. "We know our enemies and the traitors of this country," Delimkhanov said. "We have the lists of them in our pockets. Wherever they are, they will answer according to the law... and not by the law." The implication being that they will be dealt with outside legal channels. Delimkhanov didn't name names, but people in the crowd were provided with posters that included caricatures of some prominent Russian human rights campaigners, including 88-year-old Lyudmila Alexeyeva, the head of the Moscow Helsinki Group. Alexeyeva has been a staunch critic of the Kremlin's crackdown on opposition activists and civic groups.
Kadyrov had even stronger words against so-called traitors to Russia in a recent interview. "They are the enemies of our state," he told state-controlled Grozny TV. "And wherever they appear, any patriot ought to smash their faces, because they're not citizens of Russia, they're the enemies of our people."
Read more: http://www.npr.org/sections/parallels/2016/01/28/464552123/chechnyas-strongman-praises-putin-threatens-traitors
Yes, this is really him:
