5/22/20
Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov, who was on Thursday reportedly being treated for coronavirus in Moscow, went from rebel fighter to Russian President Vladimir Putin's fearsome enforcer, bringing his war-scarred region to heel with an iron-fisted rule. He has taken a characteristically high-handed approach to the coronavirus, calling doctors in the region who complained of a lack of protective equipment "provocateurs" who should be fired. Russian agency reports on Thursday said the Chechen leader, whose rule rights group say has seen torture and killings, is suspected of having the infection, and had been flown to Moscow for treatment. The 43-year-old calls himself the Kremlin's "foot soldier" but is widely thought to enjoy carte blanche from Moscow, which turns a blind eye to heavy-handed tactics in his North Caucasus fiefdom in exchange for loyalty. Kadyrov rose to power in the wake of the murder of his father — regional leader Akhmat Kadyrov — with the backing of Putin.
Since taking over at the helm in Chechnya, Kadyrov — who was officially appointed the region's president in 2007 after turning 30 — has ruthlessly looked to stamp out a lingering Islamist rebellion, and any forms of dissent. But rights activists say that stability in the region has come at a high cost as Kadyrov has brutally crushed all opposition and turned Chechnya into his personal domain with a private army. In elections under Kadyrov, Chechnya has delivered tallies of nearly 100 percent for the Kremlin. The bearded ruler has carved out a public profile, posting regularly on Instagram — which recently closed his account — and Telegram. Despite Russia's secular tradition Kadyrov has sought to impose Islamic values: encouraging women to wear headscarves and men to take up to four wives, even though polygamy is forbidden under Russian law. Kadyrov has claimed there are no gays in Chechnya and gay men have given accounts of kidnap and torture by law enforcement agencies.
