FLASH
Shkruar nga Pamfleti
Amid widespread speculation about his health, Ramzan Kadyrov, the Kremlin-linked strongman who rules the region, has been noticeably absent from the scene as he prepares his teenage son for the future.
For more than two decades, Ramzan Kadyrov has been the Kremlin's "iron fist" in Chechnya. In exchange for brutally suppressing an independence movement, he has been allowed to rule the region as his personal property, eliminating rivals, opponents, and separatists.
But Kadyrov, 48, appears to have fallen seriously ill, presenting a new challenge for President Vladimir Putin in a part of southern Russia where wars in the 1990s and 2000s claimed tens of thousands of lives. The question now is: Who will maintain the brutal control he has established in that part of the Caucasus?
Kadyrov's possible successor plan could be to rely on his 17-year-old son, who recently got married and received congratulations from Putin. But that would require circumventing Russian law that requires regional governors to be at least 30 years old.
There are other candidates, including a person who led a violent campaign against the LGBTQ+ community and another who fights for Russia in Ukraine.
In Putin's autocratic regime, Kadyrov has become a unique figure, enjoying more freedoms and subsidies than any other regional leader. He controls a personal army, has imposed strict Islamic rules that conflict with Russian law, and pursues an independent foreign policy, forging ties with Gulf monarchies and taking positions that sometimes clash with the Kremlin.
Chechnya was the only region exempt from Russian military mobilization after the invasion of Ukraine in 2022, although some Chechens were sent to war as punishment. Kadyrov's units were involved in the war, but were derided as "TikTok soldiers" due to their lack of actual involvement in the battles.
His illness has become increasingly apparent since 2023. In May, his office released a video showing him wearing a black hood, walking slowly, while a voice could be heard in the background talking about death, but not in his own voice.
"Only He who gave us breath can determine how long we will live," the message said.
Once very active on social media, Kadyrov has now frequently disappeared from the public eye. In June of this year, he appeared less than 10 times on local news, compared to almost daily appearances a year earlier.
"It's impossible not to notice how sick he is," said Tumso Abdurakhmanov, an exiled Kadyrov critic who survived an assassination attempt in Sweden.
In recent years, Kadyrov has placed his children in high positions, from the police to culture. His third son, Adam Kadyrov, was appointed secretary of the Chechen Security Council and representative in the regional interior ministry. He also received two medals, including one for “active military service.”
Although he is too young to lead the region, Kadyrov himself began wielding power in his 20s, with Putin's support. Last weekend, he proudly posted on Telegram the congratulations his son received from the president on his wedding.
Freedom of speech in Chechnya has been eroded for years, and any criticism of Kadyrov or his family is banned. But Chechens in exile say their families are shocked that a teenager, fresh out of high school, is leading security meetings with generals who could be his grandfathers.
"The scenes are absurd; people are laughing. It's completely surreal to see grown men with military decorations reporting and bowing down to a child," Abdurakhmanov said.
It is not clear whether Adam Kadyrov will actually inherit his father's power and when. Two other figures mentioned as possible successors are:
Magomed Daudov, a longtime Kadyrov ally, is internationally known for leading a "hunt" against the LGBTQ+ community in 2017.
Apti Alaudinov, 51, a former senior security official who fought in Ukraine and has become a favorite figure of state media.
Ramzan's father, Akhmad Kadyrov, was a religious leader who initially supported Chechen rebels in the 1990s, but in 2000 he defected to Russia and was installed as head of the region by Putin. After his assassination in 2004, Ramzan consolidated power, brutally suppressing the opposition and human rights, while the Russian government supported him with large sums of money.
In 2024, Chechnya received about $700 million in state subsidies, 15 times more than the Kursk region, which has suffered attacks and occupation by Ukrainian forces.
Experts believe that this policy of "money for stability" will continue even after Kadyrov's departure, as long as the federal government has the resources to finance it.
A 27-year-old resident of Grozny said on condition of anonymity that Kadyrov's long absence has brought little change to the daily lives of citizens.
“There are no more daily public events. And the constant threats on television to critics are gone. People talk about his illness in low voices, with anxiety. They feel bad for him, but they are afraid of what might come after him,” she said./New York Times
Lini një Përgjigje