Resentment of Chechen residents grows due to practice of public humiliation

The practice of public condemnations and apologies adopted in Chechnya is humiliating for residents of the republic, and it increases their discontent with the policy of the authorities, note human rights defender Svetlana Gannushkina and political analyst Ali Magomedov after the Chechen law enforcement bodies had posted a new video with apologies.

"I would call what is happening in Chechnya not a practice of public apologies, but a practice of public humiliation ... Chechens are proud people, who respect themselves and others, and they do not consider the practice of public apologies to be a positive method of preventive measures," said Svetlana Gannushkina, the chair of the "Civic Assistance Committee".

According to the human rights defender, a sincere apology can be public when a person realizes his or her guilt and receives the same sincere forgiveness.

In Chechnya, people have the proverb reading: "A young man who is beaten and humiliated will not grow up to be proud and brave," said teacher Aza Sarakaeva. She expressed the opinion that the consequences of public humiliation could be unpredictable.

Political analyst Ali Magomadov also believes that a public apology, especially voiced by a "group of people," is devalued and turns into a show not for those who committed an offense, but for the organizers of "such a cynical procedure."