Social network users demand to punish authors of fakes about new quarantine in Chechnya

The reports, which caused panic among local residents that quarantine has been introduced in the Urus-Martan District due to coronavirus, were recorded back in spring, and now re-published, officials have explained. The police began searching for the authors of the posts; and Instagram users demand to punish distributors of fakes.

Two audio records about the introduction of two-week quarantine in the above district were spread by WhatsApp and Telegram users. One of them that worried local residents was recorded a few months ago by Valid Abdureshidov, the head of the Urus-Martan District, an employee of the administration of the Urus-Martan District told the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent.

The police have launched a check of these publications, a source from the Ministry of Internal Affairs (MIA) of Chechnya told the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent.

There are no plans of introducing any new restrictions in Chechen districts, a source from the office of the republic's head and government told the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent.

Residents of the district in question admitted to the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent that the messages about the new quarantine had alarmed them. "We were really in panic. It's good that this was not confirmed," said, in particular, Zara, a resident of Urus-Martan.

"Those who spread such rumours should be found and severely punished," Khasan, a resident of Urus-Martan, was outraged.

Calls to punish the distributors of fakes were also expressed by Instagram users. "It's necessary to punish the people who spread such rumours," the user lioness_____95 wrote, in particular, whose words were translated into Russian by the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent.

This article was originally published on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’ on July 20, 2020 at 10:21 am MSK. To access the full text of the article, click here.