The strongman in charge of Russia’s Chechnya region has been sanctioned by the United States for his long record of human rights abuses, including torture and extrajudicial killings.
The fresh sanctions for Ramzan Kadyrov were announced Monday by Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, which bar Kadyrov and some family members from traveling to the U.S. The new sanctions are in addition to previous ones levied by the U.S. against the ruler.
Pompeo cited “extensive credible information that Kadyrov is responsible for numerous gross violations of human rights dating back more than a decade, including torture and extrajudicial killings.” The secretary also called upon “like-minded nations” to follow suit with sanctions of their own.
Kadyrov, 43, has led the Chechen Republic for more than a decade and is known for his brutal crackdowns against any dissent and his cozy relationship with Russian President Vladimir Putin. During Kadyrov’s despotic reign, human rights activists say that scores of people have been swept up in anti-gay crackdowns, and more than 100 people have been subject to arrest, torture, and, in some cases, death.
Pompeo noted that a 2018 fact-finding mission concluded that “harassment and persecution, arbitrary or unlawful arrests or detentions, torture, enforced disappearances, and extrajudicial executions” had taken place under Kadyrov’s leadership and that the abuses were surrounded by “a climate of impunity.”
“We are concerned that Mr. Kadyrov is now using the excuse of the coronavirus pandemic to inflict further human rights abuses on the people of the Chechen Republic,” he added.
In February, a 44-year-old Chechen blogger who was critical of Putin and Kadyrov was found inside a French hotel room with a slit throat and covered with dozens of stab wounds. Authorities say the death was a “politically motivated” slaying.
After Monday’s sanctions, Kadyrov remained defiant and, on his blog, posted a photo of himself grinning while brandishing two machine guns.
“Pompeo, we accept the fight. It’s going to be even more fun down the road,” he wrote.
A State Department spokesperson told the Washington Examiner on Monday that Russia should work to bring those responsible for the atrocities under Kadyrov’s regime to justice. The spokesperson also reiterated that “all nations appalled by such attacks on human rights” to take action.
“We again urge Russian federal authorities to bring to justice those responsible for human rights violations and abuses in Chechnya and ensure that everyone in the territory of the Russian Federation is free to exercise their human rights and fundamental freedoms, as guaranteed under the Russian constitution and Russia’s international obligations and commitments,” the spokesperson said.
