Human rights defenders call Apti Alaudinov a key figure in Chechen regime

Apti Alaudinov, the Deputy Minister of the Chechen Ministry of Internal Affairs (MIA), personally prosecuted dissidents on trumped-up cases and intimidated critics of the authorities. In connection with the above, he has got in the republic the reputation of a cruel person, note human rights defenders interviewed by the "Caucasian Knot".

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that today, it has become known that Vladimir Putin signed a decree on the dismissal of Chechen police chief Apti Alaudinov.

Svetlana Gannushkina, the chair of the "Civic Assistance Committee"*, says that in Chechnya, Apti Alaudinov has got a bad reputation and is well-known for his cruelty. "You can recall a story with Djalaldinov, when they took a man to the mountains, threw his mobile phone down from a mountain, and said: 'You are next to fly.' There are plenty of such examples, and the Internet is full of his statements with threats to people," Svetlana Gannushkina noted.

The human rights defender believes that Apti Alaudinov actually had more power at his post of Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs of Chechnya than the Minister himself.

Oleg Orlov, the head of the "Hot Spots" programme of the Human Rights Centre (HRC) "Memorial"**, also recalls Apti Alaudinov in connection with human rights violations in Chechnya.

"He is well-known for the fact that while speaking at a meeting of officials and law enforcers of the Urus-Martan District shortly after his appointment, he called them on to punish critics of the regime, using a variety of illegal ways, including by planting prohibited items to them," Oleg Orlov told the "Caucasian Knot".

* the organization is included by the Russian Ministry of Justice (MoJ) in the register of NPOs performing the functions of a foreign agent.

** the HRC "Memorial" is recognized in the Russian Federation as a foreign agent.

* организация включена Минюстом России в реестр НКО, выполняющих функции иностранного агента.

This article was originally published on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’ on March 19, 2021 at 06:54 pm MSK. To access the full text of the article, click here.