Kadyrov equates coronavirus carriers with terrorists

The head of Chechnya, Ramzan Kadyrov, has demanded that quarantine violators be imprisoned, deprived of food and buried in pits. The threats may well come true, residents of the republic believe.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that on March 24, tests for coronavirus proved to be positive in three residents of Chechnya. However, on March 25, amid the quarantine regime, the Chechen authorities staged a mass celebration in connection with the opening of the Palace of Arts in Grozny.

Speaking on air of the "Grozny" TV Channel, Kadyrov called for harsh punishment of violators of the quarantine regime, equating them with terrorists.

"A terrorist can kill several people; and this infected person can kill tens of thousands," he said.

Kadyrov's statement and setting up an additional headquarters to counter the coronavirus indicate that the authorities are afraid of a sharp deterioration in the situation, residents of Chechnya are afraid.

The demand to isolate and bury quarantine violators was emotional; but at least part of these measures could be quite well actually applied by Chechen authorities, said Maret, a local woman. "Putting under lock and keeping without food or water are quite possible," she said.

Sergey Zhavoronkov, an economist, believes that there won't be any huge epidemic in Chechnya, since local residents are seldom travellers to Europe and China, where the epidemic is widespread.

Alexandra Kulaeva, an expert on Eastern Europe and Central Asia, treats any calls to violence amid the spread of coronavirus as criminal offences.