Kadyrov and his supporters are increasingly becoming the focus of information campaigns, some of which involve the «CVO» (Chechen Republic of Ichkeria) and others that are somehow related to Islam.
For example, the sensational return to Chechnya of Huseyin Yambetov, who is associated with the Ichker movement, caused a serious reaction not only in the Chechen community and not only in Ukraine, but also among various Russian bloggers and resources. They do not hide their indignation at the fact that in Russia, where teenagers can be arrested and parents can be separated from their children for expressing anti-war sentiments, a person who recently fought against Russian forces can come to one of the regions of the Russian Federation and be pardoned by its leader.
Another incident that sparked public outrage was the burning of the Koran near a mosque in Volgograd late last week. After international investigators linked similar burnings in Europe to the Kremlin, the FSB (Federal Security Service) is now trying to convince Muslims that this was done on the orders of the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU), as claimed by the detained perpetrator. However, regardless of the motives and affiliations of this perpetrator, Russian society is more concerned about the fact that Alexander Bastrykin, the head of the Investigative Committee of Russia, announced that the case would be transferred from Volgograd to Chechnya for a demonstrative punishment of the perpetrator. This raises the question in society — what does this case have to do with Chechnya and why should it be investigated there? After all, the incident did not take place in Chechnya, and the perpetrator is neither a native nor an ethnic Chechen, so why transfer the case there?
Today there is a new information scandal — «Kadyrov’s supporters are imposing Sharia law in Moscow». The reason for this scandal is that Ramzan Khalitov, the commander of the special forces «Ahmat», with the support of actors of the organization NOD (National Liberation Movement), led by Nikolai Starikov, decided to put pressure on the youth in the center of Moscow over the way they dress. Russian reactions to this were expected, and its coverage fits perfectly into the recent information campaign, coinciding with the return of a former Ichkerian to Kadyrov’s protection, the transfer of the Volgograd case to Chechnya, and now the issue of Kadyrov’s supporters enforcing order in central Moscow.
It is worth noting that these stories are being promoted by Prokhorov’s resources, especially after Kadyrov’s recent attacks on their idol. They accuse Kadyrov of not sending his men to Bachmut instead of Wagner’s PMC (Private Military Company), as he suggested, and of not congratulating them on their alleged capture of Bachmut. Instead, he congratulated Sergei Shoygu on his birthday. In their view, Kadyrov’s men are not eager to fight for «Mother Russia,» but instead act above the law (as if it exists) and impose their own rules. For Muslims who observe all this, it is clear that an optical illusion is being deliberately created around Kadyrov and his followers, and someone is supporting it. When it comes to intervening in situations involving the protection of Muslims who are being unlawfully oppressed or discriminated against, it turns out that Kadyrov’s supporters are either incapable or limited in their ability to do so. However, when it comes to creating the impression that Kadyrov’s supporters are controlling Russia and imposing their own rules, they are ready to act.
Obviously, this is an inflated information bubble that may be needed at a time when the population is shocked by the defeat in Ukraine, for example, and needs a new enemy to blame and to vent their frustrations on, thereby somewhat offsetting the effects of the impending national humiliation. As for Muslims in general, and sensible Chechens in particular, the last thing they need is to be seen as false «masters of Russia». What they need is independence in their own country and protection of their rights as citizens and as national minorities beyond their borders, guaranteed by normal laws and courts, not by Kadyrov or Bastrykin.