Chechen activists assess risks for Khalitov

The publication of threats voiced by Adam Kadyrov against blogger Khasan Khalitov does not reduce the risks for the critic of the Chechen authorities living abroad, but confirms the involvement of the Chechen authorities in the kidnapping of his relatives, a political analyst and a human rights defender state.

When relatives of Khasan Khalitov, a Chechen blogger and a critic of Ramzan Kadyrov, living abroad, were kidnapped, it became revenge for the blogger’s call to Deputy Prime Minister of Chechnya Aishat Kadyrova, and threats to Khasan Khalitov were voiced by Adam Kadyrov, a son of the leader of Chechnya. The above version has been voiced by human rights defenders interviewed by the “Caucasian Knot”. The activists have expressed their concern for the condition of the blogger’s relatives, especially his elderly father. Earlier, Khasan Khalitov has stated that the Chechen authorities had summoned his father and two brothers to Grozny several days ago for a conversation, and since then their whereabouts have been unknown.

Mukhammad Abdurakhmanov, a member of the “Vayfond” organization, believes that the threats were provoked by the blogger Khasan Khalitov’s call to Deputy Prime Minister of Chechnya Aishat Kadyrova. “After that, the blogger was called by the Aishat’s husband. And then Ramzan Kadyrov’s son Adam called Khasan and threatened to kill within two weeks,” Mukhammad Abdurakhmanov explained.

The member of the “Vayfond” organization suggests that making threatening conversations public will not protect Khasan Khalitov. “After the start <of the special military operation in Ukraine>, Ramzan Kadyrov’s people and the Russian special services in general are acting in an aggressive way. They are not restrained by any international obligations. They can openly eliminate their opponents,” Mukhammad Abdurakhmanov claimed.