Novaya Gazeta asks the Investigative Committee to initiate a case against Kadyrov

Novaya Gazeta demanded that the Russian Investigative Committee initiate a criminal case against the head of Chechnya, Ramzan Kadyrov, who called Yelena Milashina, a journalist for the publication, and Igor Kalyapin, a member of the presidential Human Rights Council, “terrorists.” This was reported in a statement by Novaya Gazeta.

“Kadyrov declares his methods of fighting terrorists and his future plans, namely: “We have always destroyed terrorists and their accomplices, between whom there is no difference, and we will continue to do so with them. We cleared our land of them and now we are fighting them mercilessly, wherever they are,” the text says.

The publication believes that Kadyrov’s words can be qualified under the article on inciting hatred or enmity (clause “a”, part 2 of article 282 of the Criminal Code). The newspaper filed an application addressed to the head of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation Alexander Bastrykin.

Earlier, Kadyrov called Kalyapin and Milashina “accomplices of terrorists”, “who make money on the topic of the Chechen Republic and Chechens, developing scripts and whispering texts and behavior into the ears of their characters.” He also called on the security forces to detain them. Press Secretary of the President of the Russian Federation Dmitry Peskov commented on the conflict: “Yes, indeed, he uses the word “accomplices of terrorists” in relation to these people – this is his right, and the right of these people to defend their honor and dignity. Here, after all, we must rely on the fact that we live in a state of law.” According to Peskov, the Kremlin “would prefer not to comment or interfere in any way” in the background and in “clarification of these relations.”