Masked Men Torch Chechen Man’s House After Complaint to Putin About Kadyrov

May 13, 2016

The house of Chechen resident Ramazan Dzhalaldinov and his family was set on fire after he complained to President Vladimir Putin about Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov, Dagestani news website Chernovik reported.

According to Dzhalaldinov's wife, a group of masked people entered their house in the village of Kenkhi in Chechnya's Shatoy district on Friday night. They put her and her children in a car, and then “threw them out under a bridge.” The house was set on fire.

“They forbade the residents of the village to say anything on this subject, threatening to burn their houses,” the woman was quoted as saying by Chernovik.

In April, Dzhalaldinov released an online video message to Putin in which he complained about the living conditions in his village and accused the Chechen authorities of extortion.

Soon after that, Dzhalaldinov fled the village for the neighboring Dagestan republic due to threats, the Dozhd television channel reported.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Friday that law enforcement agencies must react immediately if information on the incident is confirmed, the RBC news website reported.

… we have a small favor to ask.

As you may have heard, The Moscow Times, an independent news source for over 30 years, has been unjustly branded as a "foreign agent" by the Russian government. This blatant attempt to silence our voice is a direct assault on the integrity of journalism and the values we hold dear.

We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. Our commitment to providing accurate and unbiased reporting on Russia remains unshaken. But we need your help to continue our critical mission.

Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just 2. It's quick to set up, and you can be confident that you're making a significant impact every month by supporting open, independent journalism. Thank you.

Continue