Media: Kadyrov Officially Introduces Blood Feud In Chechnya

Against the laws of the Russian Federation.

The head of Chechnya, Ramzan Kadyrov, during a meeting with commanders and heads of units of the Interior Ministry and Rosgvardiya, called for punishment for crimes committed by relatives of those who committed them, Meduza reports.

Kadyrov published a recording of the meeting on his Telegram channel. The video's caption says he "called on [law enforcement] officers to be extremely vigilant and suppress any manifestations of disruption of order".

"Any attempt to violate human life will affect, among others, the relatives of the perpetrator. Close relatives must know what their family member is doing and bear responsibility for him, as Chechen adats have taught us for centuries," the statement said.

At the same time, the 1ADAT telegram channel, which is in opposition to the Chechen authorities, pointed out that in the video itself Kadyrov, speaking in Chechen, was more specific. In particular, he hinted at the possibility of killing the relatives of the murderers.

"If any employee notices the slightest danger, or it just seems to him, he should pay attention to it immediately. It doesn't matter who it is or whose child it is. If someone attacks public safety, a staff member or a tourist, and we don't find the perpetrator, we won't keep looking for him, but we will definitely find his relative. As has always been the custom, if a relative has done something wrong and the culprit cannot be found, his brother, his father, will be killed. That is why we will take revenge extremely quickly," the channel translated Kadyrov's statement.

The Chechen leader added that a family's rejection of a relative who has committed a crime does not exempt them from revenge. "And then a person kills someone and walks around with impunity, and his relatives start to reject him. The refusal of the relatives will not work until we kill someone from their family and take away the right of blood revenge," Kadyrov said.

Similar translations of the Chechen leader's speech were published by the Agency and the Wayfond human rights organisation.