Kadyrov's order to kill relatives deepens fear atmosphere in Chechnya

Chechen authorities have long used intimidation of opponents' families in the fight against them, but Kadyrov's recent order to kill relatives of crime suspects could lead to real murders that will not be restrained by the practice of blood feud, human rights defenders have stated.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that on December 30, 2023, the head of Chechnya said that law enforcers should punish relatives of the people hiding from justice who have committed crimes against public safety or law enforcers, while "taking away" the right of blood feud. He explained his decision by Chechen traditions.

Kadyrov's order is criminal, Svetlana Gannushkina*, the head of the "Civic Assistance" Committee*, has stated "This is an obvious incitement to murder that could lead to actual murders," she has added.

Cases of reconciliation of blood families, which Kadyrov's subordinates report on, "are between families, but here, there are people who, in Kadyrov's opinion, have done something bad towards the state, whom he cannot reach," Ms Gannushkina* believes.

In his comment on Kadyrov's words that law enforcers "will take away the right of blood feud" from relatives of hiding criminals, Mr Kutaev has stated that according to Adats (Chechen customs), there are no things that would not provide a chance for blood feudists to reconcile. "It happens that some relative of the murdered person wouldn't want to reconcile. But when very authoritative people ask for this, it can be inconvenient to refuse them," he has added.

Akhmet Yarlykapov, a Caucasus expert, believes that the head of Chechnya hardly had murder in mind. "I believe this is not really about blood feud, but rather about tactics of influencing people through their relatives," he has noted.

*Included by the Russian Ministry of Justice (MoJ) into the register of foreign agents.