17:30, 27 December 2017

Facebook reveals reason for blocking Kadyrov's accounts

Pedestrian zone in the Kadyrov Avenue in Grozny. Photo by Magomed Magomedov for the "Caucasian Knot"

The Facebook administration has confirmed that accounts of the head of Chechnya in the Facebook and the Instagram service, belonging to it, have been deactivated in connection with the US sanctions.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that on December 20 the USA added Ramzan Kadyrov to the "Magnitsky list", calling him responsible for human rights violations in Chechnya.

"The accounts belonged to a person or were run on behalf of a person, who is listed among citizens of special categories and persons banned in the USA, covered by the US trade and economic sanctions," the "Vedomosti" quotes the Facebook administration.

Earlier, Djambulat Umarov, the Press Minister of Chechnya, called Kadyrov's ban in Western social networks a "vile sabotage attack," and Shamsail Saraliev, a State Duma MP, "the highest form of cynicism."

Ramzan Kadyrov has announced a launch of the Mylistory social network, and opened an account there. Following him, high-ranking Chechen officials and entire state departments began moving to Mylistory, while closing their accounts in the Instagram. At the same time, the above Djambulat Umarov, Elkhan Suleimanov the Chechen Public Health Minister, and the "Firdaus" Aishat Kadyrova's Fashion House continue running their Instagram pages.

Full text of the article is available on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’.