With the czar’s kingdom under economic stress as the price of crude oil heads downward toward $20 and the Russian ruble hits an all-time low against the U.S. dollar, many are wondering if the Kremlin has let loose its Chechen warlord to stifle any opposition or dreams of democracy in the Russian Federation. Social media in Russia has been burning with activity over the Chechen leader’s threats and harassment against anti-Kremlin politicians.
Traitors, jackals and vile liberals are some of the names Ramzan Kadyrov has called those who speak out against Russian President Vladimir Putin’s iron-fisted control of the country.
The BBC reports, it began on Friday, when Ramzan Kadyrov, leader of the southern Russian republic, labelled opponents of Mr. Putin “enemies of the people” and called for such “traitors” to be prosecuted for subversion, claiming they were working in league with the West.
Mr. Kadyrov has now reasserted his claims and gone even further in an online editorial for pro-Kremlin newspaper Izvestia.
Referring to a “half-witted rabble,” he offered opposition activists the services of a Chechen psychiatric hospital to treat their “mass psychosis.”
“I promise we won’t spare the injections. We can do double,” he wrote.
A little known politician in Siberia, Konstantin Senchenko, replied to Mr. Kadyrov, “Why don’t you get lost?” and let “normal, honest people” work for the good of the country.” The next day, Mr. Senchenko was on Facebook apologizing for his discourtesy and his “emotional outburst” after apparently multiple calls from Chechnya.
The speaker of the Chechen parliament, Magomed Daudov, then posted a picture of Mr. Kadyrov with a massive, fierce dog in an evil snarl, saying the dog was itching for several opposition leaders. “Tarzan has become very frisky. We can barely restrain him,” wrote the speaker in an Instagram post that attracted more than 6,000 likes. “Just imagine what would happen … If it weren’t for… Democracy.”
Mr. Kadyrov has long held a reputation as an enforcer in the Islamist Russian republic of Chechnya. He has kept the peace for the Kremlin since the Chechen wars of the 1990s. Recently, he has been actively attempting to prevent the Islamic State from gaining a toehold in the region. For these reasons, Moscow cannot currently do without the order he brings to a violent district.
Therefore, the Kremlin mostly turns a blind eye to Mr. Kadyrov’s antics and brutality. As the Russian population becomes restless with economic hardship, perhaps the Kremlin will need those talents all the more.
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